


Upon Return

by Ereri_Queen



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Character, Cutting, Drug Abuse, Drugs, F/F, F/M, Gay Male Character, Lesbian Character, Levi/Eren Yeager-centric, M/M, Multi, Pansexual Character, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, Underage Kissing, Underage Sex, Underage Smoking, light Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-03
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2018-02-15 23:12:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 19
Words: 31,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2246913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ereri_Queen/pseuds/Ereri_Queen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Twelve years ago, Eren Yeager and Levi Ackerman became best friends. Four years ago, Eren confessed his love for Levi. Also, four years ago, Eren had his heart ripped out of his chest and run through a shredder by his so-called "best friend". Now, Eren is 15 and has made some... changes in his life. Will Eren ever fill the void in his heart? Will he ever see Levi again? Will Levi ever get the chance to apologize? You never know what will happen upon his return.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Um, excuse me; can I borrow a blue colored pencil?" Eren somewhat nervously tapped his desk-buddy's shoulder, the kid was kind of intimidating, and he was also two years older.

"What?" He snapped his head to look at Eren, his steel grey eyes met with a sea of green-blue, "Um, why?"

Eren puffed out his baby cheeks, his big eyes narrowing, "Because I need to color my sky!" He proclaimed, the preschool teacher watching on in amusement.

"And if I don't give it to you?" The other kid continued, obviously finding enjoyment in testing others limits.

"That would make you a big, meanie!" Eren answered childishly, but the other kid was slightly surprised. Even at his ripe age of 5, no one had dared to stand up to him when he got testy, however small he may be it didn't make him any less intimidating.

He just smirked and passed the pencil to Eren, accepting his answer. Truth be told, he was a big meanie, but for some reason he found himself not wanting Eren to think that, "Levi."

"What?" Eren looked up from his picture, his head tilted cutely in confusion.

"My name is Levi." The kid replied flipping his black hair out of his eyes. The smile Eren gave him in return seemed much too large for the three-year-old's face, but it looked adorable on him.

"I'm Eren Yeager!" He replied enthusiastically before returning to his previous task of coloring in the sky, his lip pulled between his teeth in concentration.

 

Every day from then on Eren and Levi chose to be desk partners, until the day came when it was time for Levi to go to kindergarten.

 

"I don't want you to go!" Eren sniffed, wiggling his nose and wiping the tears flowing from his eyes that could never seem to decide between blue and green.

"I know, Eren. But don't worry; we will see each other soon. You will be starting kindergarten next year, right? And until then we can have lots of sleepovers, okay?" Levi consoled Eren, wrapping his arm around the younger kid’s shoulders. He was slightly taller than Eren, who curled into the older boy's touch.

"Okay." The brunette agreed reluctantly, beginning to calm down. The tears had stopped coming but his eyes were still puffy from all the crying.

"I'll miss you, Eren." Levi admitted softly; he really never said affectionate things to people, only Eren. Even his mother didn't get as much attention as Eren; his thoughts were always on the younger boy. He would see something in the store and think, 'Oh, Eren would like this.' To be fair, Eren was his best and only friend, so it made sense.

"I'll miss you too, Levi." Eren said with apparent ease; on the other side of the coin this kid was like an open book, he always said what he was thinking and wore his heart on his sleeve. He would rise to any challenge, which is part of what Levi liked about him, but he was also too naïve and soft; Levi often worried about how he would take being bullied or picked on.

Both of the children's moms ended up needing to tear them apart, soothing them with promises of play dates and sleepovers.

 

Over the next year Eren made some new friends, but Levi remained to be on a whole 'nother level than them. Meanwhile, Levi only really made one friend, Hanji, who he would never claim to be associated with. At the beginning of the year some of the older kids had tried to pick on him, but they learned the hard way that Levi was not someone to mess with. Finally, the day came when Eren started kindergarten at Levi's elementary school.

 

Eren walked through the doors of his new school with an excited gleam in his Caribbean eyes, his Pokémon backpack hanging from his shoulders.

"Hey, pipsqueak, you new here?" A voice called from next to a locker, and Eren didn't realize he was the one being addressed until the kid was standing in front of him.

Three kids stood taller than him, probably third graders. Two of them were blonde and one was brunette. They wore name tags, Eren wasn't sure but he thought they said Luke, Ethan, and... Octopus?

"What kind of name is Octopus?" Eren inquired, an incredulous look plastered on his face. He was 100% serious, but two of the other kids, Luke and Ethan, started cracking up, the third turned bright red.

"It's Octavian, uneducated twat! It's third generation Roman, learn some respect. Well, I suppose I couldn't expect a dumbo like you to understand." The red faced blonde spat, it was now Eren's turn to go red in the face.

"I'm not a dumbo!" He yelled back, stomping his foot for extra effect.

"Right, you're not dumb, just stupid." The other blond, Luke, chirped smartly, causing Eren's face to redden even more. He was starting to get teary-eyed, which only added to the fuel of the bullies. "Aw, don't cry, loser."

Eren opened his mouth, but before he could say so much as a word a different voice replied.

"If you don't leave him alone then he won't be the only one crying." The three older boys froze in their place; all traces of amusement wiped off their faces and replaced with terror.

"Um, is this a friend of yours, Levi?" The raven haired kid only nodded in response, the usual ever-speaking Octavian fresh out of words for once, "Oh, we apologize. We didn't realize you were acquainted. We will be going now, if you don't mind." He didn't wait for a response; he just grabbed his friends’ arms and ran down the hall in the opposite direction of Levi and Eren, who now had happy tears flooding his vision.

"Levi!" He squealed, throwing his arms around the older boy, who smiled and returned the hug.

"Long time no see, Er-bear." He used his nickname for the younger child, which was pronounced like Air-bear. He was the only one allowed to use this nickname, and it made him kind of proud to be the only one Eren liked enough to use it.

"Levi, will we always be friends? Like, forever, no matter what?" Eren questioned, his Caribbean eyes filled with hope.

"Of course." Levi responded, unable to say no to those ridiculously adorable eyes of Eren's.

"You promise?"

"I promise."

 

And he held good on that promise, until they were both in middle school. Levi had learned how good it felt to kiss a girl over the course of the first quarter of seventh grade, and with how well age had been treating his friend he was surprised Eren hadn't been kissed yet either.

 

"So, tell me, who are you saving that kiss for? Because I know there's no way nobody has offered." Levi prodded, bumping his shoulder against Eren's as they sat in his room playing Xbox.

Eren blushed and looked away, bit there was a slight trace of annoyance in his eyes, "Shut up."

"Come on, you can tell me. I'm your best friend; don't go all wimp-ass on me now." He knew something was wrong when his younger friend didn't say anything about his cussing, the innocent kid usually threw an adorably naïve fit when he cursed.

"Eren, what's wr-" He was cut by a pair of warm, soft lips pressing against his own; Eren's warm, soft lips to be exact. Levi pushed his friend off of him, a horrified look on his face, "What the fuck, Eren?" He yelled, the younger of the two's eyes wide with fear.

"I-I'm sorry, Levi. I didn't mean to, it's just...” He stopped talking, hesitating until he saw the dangerous look on his friend's face, "You were talking about kissing and you asked who I wanted to kiss and the answer was- is, you. I've had a crush on you for awhile, Levi."

Horror and disgust settled on the older child's face, his expression alone bringing tears to Eren's eyes, "What the hell, Eren? Ugh, that's disgusting! I can't believe I've been friends with a twink for all this time! And to think, I've hugged you and I didn't even know- ew!" He shuddered, the fracture in Eren's heart deepening with every word.

"Get out of my house, Eren! You're disgusting! I never want to see you again. We're not friends anymore, sicko." He spat at his friend, who ran out of the house with tears running in a steady stream down his cheeks. Levi's mom tried to stop him on his way out, but he just shoved passed her and out the door, running down the street to his house.

Levi flopped back on his bed, his heart racing from the fight. He didn't get the chance to calm down though, before his mom barged in the room, "Levi, what's wrong with Eren? He ran out the door crying! He looked heartbroken."

Something twinged inside of Levi, anger, maybe? No, but whatever it was it didn't feel good, "He kissed me then told me he had a crush on me, and I told him he's gross and to get out of my house." Levi couldn't find it in himself to repeat the word he had called Eren, and when he saw the look on his mom's face he was glad she didn't know.

"Levi, that's horrible! You have to take other people’s feelings into account every once and awhile, you know!" She scolded, disappointment written across her face. She really liked Eren, the kid was so funny and sweet; she hated to see him hurt by her own son.

"Whatever. Just leave me alone." His mother obeyed his wish and shut his door, leaving him to try, and fail, to sort his thoughts on the whole matter that had just gone down in his bedroom.

 

Only later would Levi realize that his heart wasn't racing because of the fight, and that the unpleasant twinge inside him had been guilt, but by the time he did come to his senses and realize he wanted to apologize, it would be too late. Eren had already moved to the other side of the east coast, from New York to Florida, without so much as another word to Levi.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren has endured some changes, ~but who's to say if I've been changed for the better~ Sorry, went into song mode there. Anyway, read on bitches.

Chapter 2

"Smoking's not good for you, Eren."

Eren rolled his eyes at his friend's statement, "I'm fifteen, Mikasa. I can think for myself." He drew in a long breath and released the smoke in rings, "Besides, it's not like I'm addicted or anything."

He could feel an argument coming on but before Mikasa could say anything more about his well being, his other friend, Marco, stepped in.

"So, how was your math test today, Eren?" Marco inquired, only realizing after Eren rolled his eyes so hard he almost fell over that it was a stupid question.

"Ha! How do you think? I probably got a C, you know how much I love math." Eren answered, sarcasm dripping through every word so heavily he could feel it in the air.

"Oh, give him a break, Eren. We thought you might've done better this time because of all the tutoring your boyfriend has been giving you." Connie smirked, knowing he struck a nerve when he brought up Eren's 'boyfriend'.

"Shut up," Eren growled, "He's not my fucking boyfriend."

"Eren, don't tell me you're still with that guy. He's no good for you. He's into a lot of bad stuff, not to mention he's 23!" Mikasa lectured, earning the most intense eye roll from Eren yet.

"Mikasa, he's not that bad. I mean, sure, he pops a couple pills sometimes and maybe drinks a bit too often, but he's a good fuck." Eren commented, quickly adding, "And he can be sweet when he wants to be."

"Which is never..." Mikasa said under her breath, but Eren elected to ignore it in favor of some peace for once.

"So, speaking of partners how's Sasha, Connie? She hasn't been answering my texts all week." Eren asked his friend, who happened to be in a relationship with Sasha.

Sasha and Connie were the only 100% hererosexual ones in their group. Mikasa was bi, Marco was pansexual, and Eren was gay as hell.

"She's been sick, but today she's actually feeling better, but the doctor still wouldn't let her come to school today. Speaking of not coming to school, today's a Friday, what'd ya say we head out tonight for a night on the town?" Connie suggested, catching the attention of everyone in the group.

"Sorry man, I can't. I already told Jean I would come over." Eren said, earning a collective groan from the group.

"Dude, he's a dick!"

"No, but he has a big one." Eren winked, the groan this time was more filled with disgust, and they all knew they couldn't win this argument they had had a thousand times without a few mental scars.

A buzz vibrated against Eren's leg, and he pulled out his phone to see a text from the protagonist of his previous conversation.

: Jean- I'm outside your school, come out. :

Without replying to the message, Eren slipped his phone back into his pocket and stood up from his seat on the steps, waving goodbye to his friends on his way out the door.

There was a red Porsche waiting for him right in front of the entrance, and he scrambled into the passenger seat of the car before throwing his backpack in the backseat.

"Hey, babe." Jean leaned over and kissed him, the warm pressure soothing Eren. "How was school?"

"You know, the usual. Got some weird looks, good and bad intentions. Some guys in the locker room tried to fucking grope me." Eren answered honestly, not having to think of his reply as he had said it so many times before, every day was practically a fucking repeat at this horrid place.

Jean snarled, "I wish those guys would keep their hands off you."

Eren smiled a little at his boyfriend's jealousy, he actually kind of liked it when Jean was possessive (don't tell), it made him feel wanted, "You know I shut them down."

Jean's face seemed to lighten up a little at that, "Yeah, but still, if you ever have trouble just tell me. I am more than willing to kick their ass." He growled, the image of other guys touching _his_ Eren pissing him off.

"I turned down my friends offer to go to the club tonight in favor of hanging out with you." Eren said randomly as they cruised down the highway, undoubtedly heading towards Jean's beach house.

"That makes me happy," Jean smiled, "It's when you do things like that that makes me love you."

"And it's when you say things like that that makes me love you." Eren replied, smiling as he intertwined their hands over the middle console.

They drove in relative silence for the rest of the drive, the only sound being the faint humming of the engine and the drumming of the waves against the ocean shore.

Finally, they pulled up to Jean's beach villa. It was huge, roughly 3 stories tall and it had a walk out basement. It was white with marble pillars on the front of the house, giving the traditional mansion look. The inside was just as impressive, but much less maintained.

Eren followed Jean to the basement, flopping himself on the leather couch and grabbing lighter and a blunt off the table. His cheeks caved in around the blunt, the familiar flavor of the burning weed filling his lungs. He held his breath and swung his leg over Jean's lap, now straddling the older man. He brought his mouth close to Jean's open, awaiting one and blew expertly through his lover's lips.

He leaned back as Jean exhaled the smoke in several rings, watching as they dissipated into thin air. He repeated this process several more times, and as they became more lost in the high he could feel himself (and Jean) become hornier.

[AN- sorry, not writing smut just yet (; we'll skip to after they've finished having sex]

Now he was fighting to stay awake, with the mix of the marijuana and the exhaustion from his adventure with Jean it was a wonder how he managed to resist the urge to fall asleep for this long. He was soon nodding off, the sound of a drink being poured into a glass was the last sound he heard before he zonked out.

Eren awoke to find himself in the same place on the couch, but with a blanket over him. He looked over to Jean to thank him but was met with a scowl, "What?"

"There's that fucking name again. Who is this 'Levi' guy, anyway? And why the hell are you saying his name in your sleep?" Jean growled. Shit. Jean is super possessive, Eren knows that, and he also knows that this is the fourth time he's been caught saying Levi's name in his sleep.

He knew he couldn't pass it off as just some stranger in his dream anymore, so he decided to tell the truth, or, half of it, at least. "He's just a kid I was friends with in New York. We were pretty tight."

"Did you have sex with him?" Jean inquired, the anger and jealousy in his eyes toning down a bit.

"No, I told him I liked him and he called me disgusting and a twink and said he never wanted to see me again." Eren answered, glad to be around someone he can trust with the truth.

"Sounds like a dick." Jean chuckled, obviously not realizing just how much the situation had affected his boyfriend four years ago.

"He's not that bad." Eren defended him, though as to why was beyond his comprehension. Why should he? For all he cared Levi was floating down a river, dead.

"Why are you defending him?" Jean demanded, but Eren knew full well even if he had an answer neither of them would like it.

"I'm not!" Eren shouted, trying to calm down a little before he spoke again, he knew the marijuana was effecting both of them, they were both in pissy moods, "Look, would you just drop it? I don't want to talk about it."

Jean practically growled his response, "Well, there shouldn't be anything to talk about in the first place."

The younger of the two rolled his eyes, a habit he had picked up over the years, "You know what, you're being a dick. And you're not even my boyfriend, so what does it matter to you?" He spat, he could practically taste the venom in his words.

"Who said I'm not your boyfriend?" Jean yelled, now standing up from his spot on the couch. Eren wanted to sigh, this happened all the 

"Well, no one's ever said otherwise." Eren hissed, clearly bitter that they had been doing... Whatever it is they're doing for almost a year now and they still hadn't made it official.

Jean picked up on the bitterness, and what followed the realization was an eye roll worthy of Eren Yeager himself, "Fine, I didn't realize it meant that much to you. Will you be my boyfriend?"

Eren's heart skipped a beat, he knew it was kind of a crappy delivery but he had been waiting to hear those words for awhile. Nonetheless, "You know what, I don't know anymore."

The older male sighed exasperatedly, "Oh, so you tell me to ask you out and then when I do you reject me? Real fucking classy, Eren."

Deep down somewhere, Eren knew Jean was right, and wanted to apologize and accept his offer. But right now, he was too far gone for common sense.

"I'm going home." Eren stated, pushing himself off of the couch and shoving passed Jean, who tried to grab his arm only to have it ripped out of his grasp. He cursed his lover for having such strong muscles, just looking at the boy you could see his chiseled, lean muscles but even then you would never guess how powerful they actually are.

He watched Eren pull his clothes on. First, his plain, black v-neck, then his black jeans, and finally his leather jacket and black running shoes. His piercings glittered in the fluorescent lighting when he spun around, shining brightly just for a moment. Jean was so caught up in the beautiful boy before him that he almost didn't notice when he started to leave again.

Jean ran after Eren, who, upon seeing him, started to run even faster. The high schooler burst through the front doors of the house, sprinting to the car that he kept at this place.

Eren slid through the driver’s door, turning the key and listening for just a moment as the engine purred to life. He looked up and saw Jean closing in on him fast, so he threw it into reverse and sped out of the driveway, barreling down the highway without stopping to turn back. Jean would be pissed, oh well.

In no time he was at his house, stopping in front of the iron gates for just a moment before the guard let him through. He rode down the rest of the driveway until he was stopped in front of his house, and he slammed the door so hard it shook the entire car when he got out.

Eren pushed through the large front doors, his house was even nicer (and bigger) than Jean's beach villa. The main house was three stories tall and had two basements, with over ten bedrooms and eight bathrooms, all in all to totaling up to 9,000 square feet. The interior was elegant but modern, and it could pass as either a nice crib for a rich teenager, or a model home for a successful businessman, which was what made Eren and his dad choose this place.

Other than the main house there was the pool house, which was 2br, 2 bath and 1,600 square feet.

Then, there was the guest house which was two stories tall and had its own basement, and was 5br, 3 and 1/2 baths, adding up to 4,500 square feet.

And lastly, there was the servant quarters, which had 6br, 3 baths, and was 2,500 square feet.

So, if it wasn't obvious enough already, Eren's father is fucking loaded. That was one of the few things Eren liked about his father, who seemed to think that buying Eren anything he wanted and letting him do whatever he likes would make up for him never being home.

It's not that Eren didn't love his father, he did, it's just that his dad hardly came home, and when he did he was locked up in his study.

Usually, the most time Eren got to spend with him was when they would go on their designated 'date' for the month. They would both clear their schedule for one afternoon and go out to eat, maybe go see an art museum or a movie, things like that. Eren's dad loved him, and he knew that, but sometimes it felt like he was just using him as an experiment, like another one of his fucked up patients.

Eren sighed as he shuffled to the grand staircase in the center of his home, checking his phone halfway up the steps. He sighed again when he saw 18 missed called and 32 unread messages, all from Jean. He didn't even bother to read them before shoving his phone into his back pocket, throwing his bedroom door open as soon as he reached it.

He threw himself on the bed angrily and turned his head to check the time, 8:32. He wondered if Connie and the others had head out yet, and he found himself dialing the bald kid’s number before he could stop himself.

"Hey, man." Connie sounded out of breath, and Eren didn't even want to know what has caused him to be that way. As if reading his thoughts, Connie soon added, "Ew, you perv! I'm out of breath because I just finished my run, sicko."

"I take it you haven't leaved for the club yet, then?" Eren quizzed, and he swears he could hear Connie rolling his eyes.

"No, I just took a jog around the stripper’s stage," Connie deadpanned, pausing before his next statement for effect, "Of course, we haven't left yet. Why? You change your mind?"

"Yeah," Eren answered, relieved to talk to someone who would listen to him ramble about Jean, "I went over to Jean's and we got high, and ended up having sex-"

"As usual."

"Shut up! Anyway, we had sex and then I passed out because I was so fucking tired I couldn't see straight-"

"You sure it wasn't the drugs?"

"Shut up, asshole! So then, when I wake up I see him glaring at me, right? So I'm like, 'what the fuck, man?' And he goes, 'you said that name again in your sleep!'-"

"Levi?"

"Yeah, so then I tell him to drop it, and of course he doesn't. He keeps prodding me about who this Levi guy is and what I did with him. Then I tell him it doesn't matter to him, because he's not even my boyfriend-"

"Oh shit, shots fired."

"-and so he asked me to be his boyfriend officially. Of course, I said no, because I was in a pissy mood, and he got super pissed. I ended up taking the car I keep at his place and storming out of there, leaving a very pissed off Jean standing in the driveway." Eren finished the story, hearing nothing in response but a low whistle for a few seconds.

"So... You turned him down? That's my boy." Connie laughed, but stopped when he heard the contemplative sigh leave Eren's mouth. "No way, you're not regretting saying no, are you?"

Silence.

"Dude! Saying no was the right thing."

"I know! But that might have been my only chance to make it official with him, and now he's mad at me and it is kind of all my fault."

"Whatever, it sounds like you need a drink," Connie decided, feeling a twinge of pity for his best friend, "You want to come with us to the bar? I can help you get ready."

"Sure, be here in five minutes." With that, Eren hung up, sighing as he flung his head back. Why him? Why did he always get stuck with the drama?

"Whatever, I should-" He was cut off by the doorbell and he looked at the clock, it had only been two minutes, surely Connie wouldn't be here already... would he?

Eren jumped up and raced down the stairs, taking two at a time. He swung open the door and ran down the gate, ready to tell the guard to let Connie in, but when he reached the end of his driveway he saw a head of blond and black hair.

"Jean?" He blurted, confused beyond all hell. Why would he be here?

Jean spun towards Eren and relief immediately flooded his features, he leaped forward, pulling Eren into a hug, "I'm glad you're alright, with how fast you were driving I was worried something may happen."

Eren's heart twitched, he didn't mean to make him worry... "Jean-"

"No, I'm sorry, Eren. I was being unreasonable, I know you don't like to talk about your past and I pushed you anyway. How about this: to make up for it I take you out for dinner tomorrow, just you and me, Er-bear. What'd you think?" Jean offered, shocking Eren. Them, on a date, like, a real date, not just getting high and fucking?

A wide smile spread across Eren's face, "Sounds like a plan." His smile grew when he felt small kisses being planted all over his face, and long fingers running over his sides, right at his most ticklish spot.

Eren almost fell over laughing, and he would've if it weren't for Jean supporting him. It was for rare moments like this that he stayed with the bastard, who knew him better than anyone else had since... Well, since Levi.

"Well, I better get going, Er-bear. See you tomorrow at six!" Eren watched as Jean swung his leg over the seat of his motorcycle, pulling on a helmet before speeding away.

Not a moment later Connie pulled into the drive, the guard opening the smaller gate so him and Eren could walk through. "Was that..?" Connie looked at the grin on his friend's face and couldn't stand to break his bubble, "You know what, it doesn't matter."

Connie knew he made the right choice when Eren's teeth only grew more exposed, they were almost blindingly white. Fucking rich kids and their fucking rich kid teeth whitener.

Connie and Eren found themselves laughing as they got ready for the club, Eren changing into the same outfit he had before but cleaner, and tighter. Connie wore black wife-beater and dark blue jeans, borrowing one of Eren's leather jackets they sat at the bay window in Eren's room.

"I won't tell Sasha." Eren promised as he offered Connie a cigarette, which he accepted gratefully.

"Thanks, man."

They waited there until in a peaceful silence for awhile, the only sound was the occasional exhale followed by a ring of smoke, well, in Eren's case a ring; Connie, who was much less experienced, simply blew sloppily out of his mouth, coughing when some smoke would stay in his lungs.

"Alright, man," Eren said, throwing his cigarette out the window, "Let's roll."

The last thing Eren remembered was stepping out of his black Ferrari and into the doors of the club before he got completely wasted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, yes, I know. I'm a fucking bitch. Everyone hates me. Yes, I am well aware of my status. But, you guys seriously have to admit that I did warn you. By the way, Eren is 15 and Levi is 17, and Levi is one year ahead of Eren in school. PS- There's always something crazier ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, here is some Levi :3 The beginning of this story will be more revolved around Eren, but I will be keeping updates on our favorite stoic captain :)

Chapter 3

Levi's feet patted gracefully against his hardwood floors, until they were engulfed in the soft carpet that lined his bedroom. He opened his closet of flawlessly ironed clothing and picked out a simple white wife-beater and some dark denim jeans, pulling them on after some socks and underwear adorned his body.

He pulled on his leather jacket and walked into the laundry room for the second time that day, switching the articles of fabric from one machine to the other.

He soon found himself walking back down the hallway, passed his bedroom door. He snatched his keys off the counter and picked up his shoes on the way out the door, stepping into them without stopping.

He locked the door to his apartment behind him and took the stairs down to the lobby, where the receptionist didn't cast him a second glance.

Levi sighed in contentment when he felt the blast of fresh air fill his lungs, today had been a pretty refreshing day so far. First, he got to have his favorite tea. Then, he took a shower. Finally, he gets to go outside in the fresh air. Man, life was being kind today.

"Oi! Levi!" Scratch that thought, life had just gotten a lot more annoying.

"What, Hanji?" Levi snapped, obviously not happy with the intrusion on his otherwise peaceful day.

"Woah, soothe your boobs, man. I just wanted to see if you wanted to get some coffee and ice cream with me and Erwin? And possibly a couple others?" She offered smugly, knowing Levi couldn't resist a good café.

"Fine." He grumbled, electing to ignore his friend's elated squeal. Levi had to admit, he could use some coffee, if not tea, to calm his nerves even more so than they already were. 

They arrived at the cafe not too long afterwards, and Levi ordered some tea and a bagel before he sat down with his friends; other than Hanji and Erwin, Petra, Aorou, and Ethan sat around the table.

"Hey, Levi. Long time, no see." Aorou prompted as Levi took his seat between Hanji and Erwin, who nudged him when his only reply was an eye roll.

"Yeah yeah, hello." Levi grumbled, his friends laughing as if he had said some kind of joke.

"So, Levi," Petra started, "I hear you're quite popular at school." She winked at Hanji, who had undoubtedly told exaggerated stories of their time at school.

Petra and Aorou didn't go to Levi's school, so this has happened on more than one occasion.

Levi rolled his eyes, "I'm not popular. I'm respected, and maybe even well-known and liked, but not popular."

"I'm pretty sure that is the exact definition of popular, Levi." Erwin laughed, slapping his friend on the back, making him spill tea on the table, which Erwin promptly cleaned up under Levi's killer glare.

"It's not like people ask me out, though." Levi argued, he didn't really enjoy being the main topic of conversation, so he wanted to end this debate as soon as possible.

"Yeah, because they know you will shoot them down. Ever since Bertholdt you've been a stick in the mud when it comes to romance." Hanji teased, then pausing as if to contemplate something, "Now that I think about it, you've always been a stick in the mud when it comes to anything. Remind me why I'm friends with you?"

"Because I'm freaking awesome." Yes, Levi didn't cuss. Ever since Eren, well, he tried not to. It would only remind him of how Eren would blush and tell him he shouldn't say that, and being reminded of his biggest mistake ever would only lead to pissing on Levi's mood.

"Oh, right. Now I remember, I have a tendency to enjoy the presence of short, grumpy, sarcastic, cocky guys. My bad." Hanji smiled, the laughter around the table only rising when Levi pushed her out of her chair.

"I love you guys..." Levi muttered under his breath, watching his group of friends laughing and smiling together in the middle of a crowded coffee shop.

 

After he said goodbye to his friends at the coffee shop, Levi went home. They had the week off school, so Levi had done his homework on the first day of break in order to free up his schedule for the rest of it. 

However, Levi did have something else to write on his laptop. Yes, you guessed it: fanfiction. 

Okay before you start judging just know that he was reluctant to get into this biz, but felt he had to put all his amazing plots out there somehow. (This is what he told himself to justify his actions.)

Also, you should know Levi is a very popular writer. Everyone said that it sounded like a real experience, like he had actually lived through the situation and somehow transferred his thoughts onto paper. 

What they didn't know is that he did write most of his stories based off his own life experiences, and he found it amusing when people would say, 'Wow, this character has gone through a lot of shit.' Yeah, believe me, he knows. 

Anyway, though he would never admit it, Levi was kind of a fanboy, just a little bit. Not insane, but he had a couple posters of his favorite books/shows around his apartment, and he thoroughly enjoyed fluff between his OTP, even the occasional smut, though it wasn't really his style. 

He sighed and leaned back in his desk chair, stuck on what to write next. This particular story was of a gay ship, the younger one had been in love with the older in high school, and they hooked up, but then the younger one misinterpreted something the older guy said and got his heart broken, never talking to the older one again. They meet again at work, and the older one is the boss of the younger guy. 

It was a good plot, but he didn't know what to do next. The older character had just walked in on the younger character making out with some other guy, and even though they weren't together the younger one felt guilty when he saw the look of hurt on the older guys face. Now, Levi didn't know what to do. He hated writers block, but that was one thing that didn't cower away from him, and his fans were demanding an update.

Levi loved his fans, but he knows from experience that they could make threats worthy of satan himself. Sometimes he actually double checked the doors at night, just to make sure they were locked so that nobody could skin him alive with a rusty spoon while he was sleeping. 

Levi just started typing; without even thinking, really. That's what he did whenever he has writers block, he just let his body overtake his mind and pounded out word after word. It was pretty intense, really. He sat there with a stone look on his face (nothing new), and typed up thousands of words without even knowing what he wrote. He always checked it before he posted, of course. 

Before he knew it the sun was setting and before him sat a 6,000+ word chapter; a good one, at that. It was funny, the most praise he got was usually on chapters like these where he wrote without thinking. He saved the document before he could accidentally delete it, and copied it over to AO3, apologizing in the chapter notes for taking so long. 

Twenty minutes later he already had more comments demanding an update. Levi sighed and shut his laptop lid, these people were so hard to please. Even still, he found himself smiling. He really did have the best fans, they always said nice things about his story and would give him ideas for plot twists, they would even stick up for him when someone hated on his story (which didn't happen often, just the occasional comment of, 'You should leave this site, your writing hurts my brain.').

Levi crawled out of his beds and straightened the sheets, deciding to call Hanji because he didn't really want to be alone. When he was alone he had too much time to think, and whenever he thought to much he found himself thinking of Eren. 

He unplugged his cellphone from the charger and went to his contacts. In seconds, Hanji was on the other line. 

"Levi! What's up?"

"Um, do you want to come over? Or we could go out? I'm really bored." Ok, half truth. Hanji did know about Eren, seeing as she actually was acquainted with the boy herself it was hard to hide the truth from her for very long. Still, he didn't like anyone to know that it still effected him, even just a little. They would think he was weak, and he didn't want anyone he cared about not coming to him for help because they didn't want to break him, or something. 

"Sure! Perfect timing, actually. We were thinking of going to a gay bar." Levi could almost taste the smugness in her voice, she knew him to well. 

Yes, Levi is gay. And yes, everyone knows it. However, it didn't really seem to register in the mind of some people, seeing as how some girls still twirled their hair at him and whatnot. 

"Fine. Pick me up in ten minutes." Levi hung up without waiting for an answer, knowing his friend was always available. Not to mention, her car was much nicer than his; not that she would ever hear it from him, anyways. 

Sure enough, ten minutes later Hanji was standing on Levi's doorstep, dressed very well for a gay bar. Levi looked pretty good himself, he had that cold and mysterious thing about him. 

"You look so nice, Levi! I know if I were a dude I would fu-"

"You're not." Levi but off his friend, not particularly enjoying the mental image of Hanji topping him. Cue *shudder*. Hanji pushed her friend's shoulder, despite herself she was laughing, though. 

They continued on like that, all the way to the club. The bouncer totally bought their fake IDs, though he had questioned Levi, but immediately accepted it under Levi's harsh glare. That guy could look pretty intimidating, despite his height (or lack there of). 

"Two shots, please." Hanji ordered, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Without her goggles and a lab coat, she was actually very pretty. Her hair was down and she was sporting a black, sparkly dress. 

Almost as soon as she finished speaking, two shots appeared seemingly magically in front of them. They each took one, and already Levi was feeling out of it (I told you he was a lightweight). Levi was a funny drunk, his personality did a 180 and he was suddenly a nice, cheerful, comical guy who enjoyed throwing compliments left and right. 

"Hanji, you are SO pretty, like, it's not even fair." Levi said, sounding like a teenage girl commenting on her friend's Instagram photo. 

Hanji just laughed, "Thank you, Levi. You look pretty handsome, yourself."

This earned her a playful slap on the arm and a giggly, 'Oh, stop it!' From Levi, the teenage girl. He had downed another shot while Hanji wasn't looking, and was in full-on stereotypical gay mode. 

They heard a deep laugh behind them, and a familiar face emerged from the crowd. Holding a camera phone, no less. 

"Erwin?" Hanji questioned, "But you're not..."

"Gay? Maybe not, but I knew Levi would be here and need some blackmail, so." Erwin chuckled evilly. Oh, the man behind the scenes. 

"Erwin, he's not going to tell anyone about-"

"Shh, don't say it out loud!" Erwin snapped, "Someone could hear you." 

Hanji sighed, what was she going to do with these people? She now had a sneaky, snickering Erwin and a waving, giggling Levi (who decided it would be fun to spill all his embarrassing secrets on camera for all eternity) on her hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, first things first, no, this is not going to be a fanboy!levi fanfiction, I just thought it would make for some comic relief (not that I don't have enough of that). Second, yes, the plot of his fanfiction is from Sekaiichi Hatsukoi, which also helped inspire me to write this. Third, it's been brought to my attention that there is a Percy/Nico story on fanfiction.net similar to this? Well, this plot is original and I don't really do Percy Jackson fanfictions, or fanfiction.net for that matter. In fact, the only reason I'm even using those characters in this story is because I need some minor characters, and I am running out of ones from Attack On Titan, so. Yeah, this is 100% original and I just wanted to clear that up. Anyway, hope you all liked it! I brought Levi in, and yeah, he's gay and he knows it. Love you all, thanks for reading! ;3 PS- I tried to fix the spacing, it should be 100% fixed by the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SELF-HARM AND THOUGHTS OF DEPRESSION
> 
> So, when I wrote this chapter I was feeling kind of down, and honestly the emptiness that I talk about is from my own experience. I have never self-harmed before, but I do find myself accidentally getting hurt (ie. stubbing my toe, pricking my finger with a needle, etc.) when I go in this whole "emptiness" mode and it's kind of scary because the pain doesn't really even register, it's just kind of... There. Anyway, if this kind of thing disturbs you, I'm sorry, I just wanted to warn you all.

Chapter 4

Eren was nearly bouncing with excitement. He had spent all morning choosing what he should wear and how to style his hair, eventually going with the usual black v-neck, black skinny jeans, black leather jacket, and black shoes. He had styled his hair perfectly, the brown locks reaching his eyes were swept to the side in a nonchalant way. He looked naturally gorgeous, as if he woke up this way, but in reality it took him thirty minutes. 

Now, all he had to do was wait an hour for Jean to pick him up. Perfect. 

Eren sighed and leaned back on the couch, clicking the tv on to some show about zombies and the end of the world. Just as he started getting in to the show, the door clicked open and his father walked in, setting a hand on his shoulder. 

"You ready to go, son? You look nice."

Eren blinked. Ready... to go? Was today the day? On the one day he was busy did he really promise Jean he'd go out with him? Eren wanted to cry. A once in a lifetime chance just flew out the window, he knew if he stood Jean up he would never go on a date with him again. 

"Um, dad, you see... I kind of already-"

"Oh, c'mon son. Let's go! Today is the day we cancel all our plans and hang out together. I already have reservations at a nice restaurant so we better hurry before they give away our spot." His dad rushed, grabbing his arm and pulling him to the car. 

Eren subconsciously buckled his seat belt, the action having become a muscle reflex over the years. A wave of dread was in the place where a flood of joy usually lay on this day. 

"Um, dad? When will we be finished today?" Eren finally asked, hoping he didn't sound ungrateful. It's not that he didn't want to be with his dad, it's just that he didn't want to cancel on Jean. 

His father's expression darkened a little bit, and he looked almost nervous, "That depends. If things go well, at least two hours."

Crap. It was already 5:28, by the time they got there it would be 5:35 and then even at 7:35 it would take Eren ten minutes to get to the club. 

Eren pulled out his phone and sent a new message to Jean: 

: Eren- Hey, I'm gonna be late, alright? So you don't need to pick me up, either. I'm sorry, I really am. :

He sighed and put his phone away, knowing the rule of no electronics during their time together. 

Soon enough, the pulled up to a fancy looking restaurant with waiters that looked like models and food that smelled sweeter than vanilla. The hostess recognized Eren's father immediately and showed them the way to their reserved seats. 

Eren slid into one side of the booth, his father in the other, "So, how was work?" Eren broke the silence, and he pretended not to notice how tense his father was. 

"Um, it was great. Listen, Eren, there's something I need to tell you." His father finally admitted, and by the look in his eyes he knew it was now or never, "You're going to a boarding school in California. I know, it's the middle of the year and yes, it's a long ways away but just hear me out. 

"I know you've been struggling with your grades for a while, and this school offers the best academics in the country. Not to mention, it does great in its elective classes as well, not just the core classes. And before you say something like I'm only doing this to save money, let me tell you, this school costs a fortune if you don't get in on a scholarship. I've already shipped your favorite cars there and have all your stuff being packed right now. You will be leaving tomorrow night. And son," Eren listened in a daze, a trace of shock in his eyes, "I do love you."

There was a moment of silence before all hell broke loose. 

Eren slammed his hands on the table and stood up out of his chair, a look of betrayal written on his face, "How could you do this to me? You know how much I love it here! How could you just send me packing with a days notice?"

Eren didn't know how else to let out his frustration, so he picked up the expensive plate on his table and broke it between his hands. He could hear the other customers gasping and the security shuffling through the restaurant, but he didn't really care, "Why are you doing this?" He yelled as he was dragged out of the restaurant, "Why can't you let me stay here? Just hire me a tutor or something! Anything!" 

He was shoved out of the restaurant doors and just like that, the matter was done. The fight was over. It was pretty anti climatic to be honest, and for someone who had asked to be done with drama, he was beginning to think he only jinxed himself. Eren's only friends were here, and he was going to lose them. He couldn't stand to lose anyone else, not anymore than he already had. He's not sure how much more loss he can take before he reaches his breaking point, and he's afraid that even his mysterious, confident act won't be enough then. 

Eren looked at his phone, it was 5:46. He hailed a taxi and told them to drive to the bar next to the place where he and Jean were supposed to meet up. He handed the driver a wad of cash, way more than he was due, and ran into the club without another word. 

It was busy, and there were people making out everywhere. He took a seat next to a red headed girl making out with some blond dude, though it was hard to tell what color his hair was in the dark lighting. 

"I'll have something strong." Eren ordered Thomas, the bartender (who he had grown to know quite well), and he heard the dude next to him inhale a sharp breath. 

He downed his drink before he looked to see what the problem was, and his eyes widened when he recognized the face that had been previously smashed against a girl's. Eren was already too close to the breaking point, and this just might have tipped him over the edge.

"Eren, I swear, it isn't-"

"No, no. I get it." Eren chuckled, though the humor in his voice was nonexistent, "You decided that because I was going to be a little late, you would find someone else to tide you ever till I showed up."

"Eren, I'm sorry-"

"Save it, Jean." Eren snapped, glad that his anger was showing through right now so that Jean didn't have to see him in tears, no one deserved that pathetic sight. 

"Er-bear, I didn't-"

"Don't, Jean. Don't call me that." Eren hissed before he stood up and ran out of the restaurant, all thoughts of getting drunk and forgetting his problems long gone. 

He took a taxi home, and it took everything he had not to break down in front of the driver. He barely made it to the front gate before a floodgate of tears was released, and he found himself sniffling and limping all the way to his room. 

He locked the door behind him and stumbled over to his dresser. He needed something more than what getting high or drunk could give him. He needed a release, one that would stay with him, remind him that he could feel something other than the emptiness that had been trying to consume him for years. 

He grabbed his razor from the drawer, it was rusted with dried blood, and Eren nearly tripped over himself getting to the bathroom. Today was a shitty day. First, he finds out he's being shipped to California. Then, he finds out that his boyfriend is cheating on him. Of course, he already knew Jean was messing around with other people, but it didn't really sink in until he saw it happening. 

Eren choked back a sob as he felt a familiar emptiness growing inside him, a hollow voice echoing in his head. 

'You deserve to be cheated on,' it hissed, 'you're nothing.'

Eren gripped the razor tighter and pulled off his clothes, pressing the blade into his side where no one would see. 

'You're dad doesn't love you,' the voice came back, 'he was just lying so that you would leave sooner.'

The blade pressed deeper into his skin, breaking through and Eren felt the emptiness completely overtake him and he watched with mild interest as the drops of crimson blood oozed down his side. The voice returned, but it was worse this time, because the voice speaking to him became his own.

'You aren't worth anything. You can't even get your sexuality right. Levi was right, you're disgusting.'

He registered pain in the back of his mind, but the world was beginning to lose its balance and Eren's eyes lost focus. The last thing he saw before he passed out was blood running down the gashes in his side and his thigh, where no one would see the scars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so you all might want to murder me gruesomely right now. But now you know who the self-harmer is? 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if it's kind of short and anti climatic, this just isn't really my specialty, haha ;) I tend to be better at fillers, and humor, so this story is pretty much the bane of my existence...

Chapter 5

"Eren!" Levi's face was smiling up at him, the six year old was calling his name and beckoning him to join him in the open field he was playing in. 

"Eren! C'mon!" Levi's voice started to change, and Eren frowned, "Eren!"

Eren's eyes snapped open, and he saw Connie's worried face looming over him, "Eren, finally! I've been trying to wake you up for ten minutes." 

Eren frowned and looked down at himself, his wounds were stitched up and he was clean from all blood, and clothed in some gray sweatpants and a white tank top. 

"What..?"

"Mikasa and I got you cleaned up." Connie explained, "You did it again, Eren. You said you would try not to cut anymore." Seeing the hurt in Connie's eyes stung him, and he felt his heart swell in his chest. 

"I'm sorry, Connie." Eren apologized quietly, too ashamed to look his friend in the eye.

The bald teen grabbed his friends face, forcing him to look up, "Don't apologize, Eren. Just tell me what happened."

So, Eren did just that. He told Connie about how he had forgotten about his dad's day and promised to go on a date with Jean, and then how he had to postpone the date and go to some fancy restaurant with his father, only to find out he's being sent to California, and then when he went to the bar for a get away, he sees Jean making out with some girl, so he comes home and pulls out some blades, draws some blood, and then wakes up to Connie yelling in his face. 

Connie listened intently, and for once he found that he wasn't jealous of how rich or good looking his friend was. If he was perfectly honest, some part of him had always envied Eren, who got all the girls (despite the fact that he's gay) and could use his daddy's money to buy whatever the world has to offer. That part of him hadn't really realized that Eren didn't want all that, he just wanted one person to love him, truly, for who he was. 

And that small part of him reaching an understanding brought a whole new light on the Levi situation, which he had never really gotten. He always thought that it was just one rejection, and he was only 11 when it happened, why couldn't he just get over it? But now he realized that Eren felt that Levi was the only one who ever truly loved him, unconditionally, and those are some hard shoes to fill. It wasn't the romantic disinterest in him that had hurt Eren so bad; sure, it had probably stung at first, but it was more than that. It was his best friend, who had promised to stay beside him no matter what, disowning him, practically saying that he hated him. Even worse than that, his only other unconditional love, his mother, passed away right after he moved here. 

Connie felt a deep pain for his friend, he couldn't imagine what is was like to be Eren, with no one to love you, not even yourself. Connie had always considered it a right, to be loved by his family and friends, to like himself even if he wasn't rich or handsome. But now he realized it was a privilege, love. A privilege that Eren didn't have, and Connie wanted more than anything to grant access to that privilege for his friend. 

"Eren," Connie wrapped an arm around his friend after he finished, pulling him close to his side, "I care about you, we all do. We don't want to see you in pain, because when you're hurt, it hurts us all. We all love you no matter what, so you come us if anything happens from now on, alright? We won't shove you away, and we won't let you ditch us, no matter how hard you may try to shake us off." Connie grinned, comforting his friend. The words flowing from his mouth had been completely true, he didn't doubt a word he said. 

Eren must have sensed this, because he nodded, "Yeah, thanks Connie, I really am a lucky guy." Eren smiled, confusing Connie.

Did he say lucky? "How is that?" The bald boy asked, not really understanding how anyone in Eren's position could ever be considered lucky. 

"Well, I have a friend like you." The bright smile that adorned Eren's face was rare; it was a true smile, his first real one in a long time. 

It wasn't only rare, it was beautiful, and Connie was sure that if Eren smiled like that more often he would turn the baldy gay. In fact, he'd probably turn the whole male populace gay, and all the lesbians out there would become straight as an arrow. 

"You're beautiful." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and Connie looked down blushing, until he heard angelic laughing next to him. 

"Why, thank you, kind sir. That was a most appreciated compliment I have received." Eren teased, clearly not taking it seriously. 

"No, Eren. I'm being for real, you really are beautiful." Connie said, looking his friend in the eye with a deadly serious gaze, "And I don't mean that, like, in a gay way or anything." Connie quickly added on, smiling at the light blush that sprinkled Eren's face. 

"Um, thanks, Connie. I really do appreciate it." He mumbled, obviously embarrassed by the uncommon serious side of his friend making an appearance. 

"Well, what'd you say we spend one last day together as a group, before you have to leave?" Connie offered, taking the hand Eren stretched out to help him stand up. 

"Sure." Eren smiled, "Race you to the car!"

The teenage boys stumbled over each other getting down the stairs, and Eren slid over the hood of one of his cars to get to Connie's jeep faster, winning him the race. 

They made their rounds until they had everyone in the car, and Eren tried to ignore Mikasa's worried glare directed at him. The others didn't know about the details of last night, only that he was leaving in a few hours to go to a boarding school in CA. 

They decided to go to the white sands of Destin one last time together rather than the club, thinking it would be better to spend their last moments together sober rather than drunk. 

They played around on the shore all day, and when they walked through the airport to see Eren off they all had sand stuck to their flip flops and sunburns on their cheeks. 

They stood outside of Eren's private plane and said their goodbye's, all trying not to cry but in the end majorly failing. 

First was Marco, who wrapped his arms around Eren in a killer embrace; he always gave the best hugs. "Goodbye, Eren. I'll miss you a lot, you know. Stay out of trouble in California, and don't get kicked out of school!" Eren laughed, "I'm serious, Eren. Don't drink and drive. Text me everyday, but not while you're driving!"

Eren smiled at his friends over-bearing attitude, which is something he lacked experience with in his own family, so having a friend who seemed to care was nice. 

Next was Sasha, and Eren couldn't hold back the tears as he felt her arms wrap around him tightly, her own salty tears staining his black shirt, "I am gonna miss you so much, Eren! Ugh, I love you so much. I especially love how you always let me eat your potato chips, so make sure to be extra careful that you don't break that habit, okay? Oh, and you better text me everyday. And send me stuff in the mail. Like chips. Or candy. Oo, yeah, candy is nice..."

Eren laughed and pried the now drooling Sasha off of him, with promises that he would send her lots of stuff and cool foods from California. 

He was soon in an embrace with Mikasa, and he breathed in the scent of her hair as he felt a few tears trickle onto his jacket. "Eren, you better be careful in California. Don't do anything stupid, and nothing self-harming either, okay? Me and Connie won't be there to help you, now. You're on your own, so you need to make sure you keep your emotions in check. For me, please, because I love you."

Eren was pretty sure Mikasa's little speech was supposed to be encouraging, but she never was good at that whole 'making people feel better' thing. He found himself glad that her lecture wasn't the last thing he heard before he left. 

Eren turned to Connie, who was tearing up but desperately trying to hold it in, though his efforts were all for not seeing as he broke the moment he was intertwined with Eren. "Eren, man. I am gonna miss you so much, it's not even funny. We may be thousands of miles away, but a phone number is only ten digits, you understand? If you ever are feeling down, or you need some reassurance, or anything, give me a call. Also, you better call me everyday whether you need something or not otherwise I will spend my life savings and fly to California so that I can personally kick your ass, in the flesh." 

Eren laughed despite the tears that were streaming down his face. He really did love his friends, and he wasn't sure what he would do without them, but like Connie said, they're only a phone call away. 

"Alright, guys. I need to go. I promise to text you all daily, and I'll call when I can. Over the breaks I can fly you guys down to Cali, and we can stay in my beach house, sound good?" A chorus of cheers ran through the group, and Eren smiled, "Alright, I'll see you guys soon. I love you all."

With that, Eren stepped into the plane. He watched his friends wave at him until they were just specks miles below him, and he sighed as he laid back in his seat and plugged in some headphones. 

Eren slid his eyes shut somewhat reluctantly, knowing full well what would await him in his dreams, but too tired to really care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, despite all the tags, this story isn't going to be a lot of smut. There will be some, don't fret, but in case you haven't noticed I am more of a light, humor girl and this story will probably end up having way to many awkward jokes for the subject of the plot. Anyway, there will be smut just know that it's not really what this story is about, and I apologize if I was misleading.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi!!! Yay!! Kind of! ....... Okay, don't hurt me (/>.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't really check over this, so sorry if it has mistakes. I'll probably regret not doing so later, but screw it. Ain't nobody got time for that. (Sorry, not sorry.)

Chapter 6

"Are you sure you're okay?" Hanji's voice rang through the phone loudly, causing Levi to pull the device away from his ear. Still, she was concerned and it was sweet that she cared about him enough to offer to skip her science class to help him out. An offer which he kindly rejected, mind you. 

"Yes, Hanji, it's just the flu. I'll be back to school next week." Levi coughed for the umpteenth time, trying (and failing) to hide the commotion from Hanji. 

"Well, if you need anything remember, a phone number is only ten digits. I'm just a call away." She reassured, and despite himself Levi was smiling, she really could be sweet. 

"Thank you, Hanji. I'll keep that in mind." He heard a faint 'I love you' through the line as he pulled back to hang up, and begrudgingly grumbled an 'I love you, too' before he hung up for good. 

Levi laid back and took a deep breath, holding it for awhile before releasing it in one big, long sigh. He was sick, and would be out for an entire week. 

Two nights ago, on Saturday, he had gotten a sinking feeling in his stomach. Now, his instincts were usually pretty good, and he had learned to trust them. So, naturally, he went outside and stood in the rain for two hours. 

Now, before you say anything, he knew for a fact that something bad had happened, he just didn't know exactly what. Hanji told him he probably just ate something bad (and she was probably something close to right), but he was just too stubborn to admit that he was stupid enough to stand outside during the first rain in months on a gut feeling. 

Whatever, he was right. 

Hanji would also say he's a right fighter, but he says fuck her. (Not literally, touch her and he'll kick your ass.) 

He eyed the cold medicine wearily, it was supposed to make him get better quicker, but last time he accidentally took too much and didn't wake up for eighteen hours. That shit was strong. 

Also, though he will never admit it, and despite all appearances, he is a fucking lightweight. Like, light-as-a-pillow lightweight. I mean, like, two-shots-and-he's-gone lightweight. It was no joke (though Hanji seemed to think it was pretty funny).

Anyway, that's off topic. Point is, Levi hates medicine, can't stand it. Even the recommended dosage made him a bit woozy (he refuses to believe it's because of his smaller-than-average size), and it also tasted like shit. 

"Tch, 'grape' my ass." Levi mumbled as he read the label, deciding against his better judgement -which he was still mad at, by the way- not to take the meds. 

Instead, he settled for a glass of Gatorade, which he downed in seconds. He almost wiped his mouth with his arm, but stopped himself just in time. He grimaced, he had forgotten how sloppy he becomes when he's sick. 

He sighed exhaustedly and threw his head back, pounding it into the mattress until his neck hurt. Levi was so bored he could've died, but, he didn't. (Unfortunate, really. He would've preferred that fate, quite honestly.)

He peeked out his window and looked out over the city he lived in. It was disgusting, really, the smog so thick you could see it a mile away. For some reason, he found himself loving this busy city, though. He could see the top of his school just outside the borders and he remembered that he would have a week of homework to make up. 

With a groan, Levi pulled the covers over his head. This was going to be long week. 

He sat there for a long while like that, just laying there under his comforter, the blanket providing a calming darkness. 

Then, his thoughts caught up to him. 

Levi couldn't stop his mind from wandering to the subject it always came back to: Eren Jaeger. 

Levi hadn't meant to hurt the kid, and he regretted what he had said to him after he calmed down. In due time, Levi realized why he reacted the way he did, but the realization didn't really help anything. 

It made sense now, though. It made sense why his heart would run a marathon whenever Eren hugged him or curled into his touch. It made sense why during puberty he started to have strange dreams about Eren, ones that weren't exactly child-friendly. It made sense why he felt almost happy when he found out that Eren hadn't kissed anyone yet, and why he had felt slightly angry before that when he imagined Eren kissing someone else. 

It all made sense now. Levi had been unknowingly in love with the brat (and unwillingly, mind you). 

Levi found himself wishing that he could meet the brat again, just so he could tell him everything that he had realized. Maybe then, he could move on completely. It's not like Eren had held Levi back much, it's just that Levi always felt a tug of guilt when he was laughing with his friends, or when he was making out with his boyfriend. 

Levi felt guilty because he would be reminded of his promise; the one he had broken so many years ago. He had promised to stay by Eren's side no matter what, and then had pushed the kid away when he needed him most. 

Levi frantically wiped at his eyes, he wasn't about to cry over the brat, not when he was the one who instigated so much damage. It wasn't fair to Eren for Levi to feel bad, it wasn't fair for him to move on, either. 

A ding rang through the room, and Levi had never been happier that he had set his notifications on on his laptop. He threw the covers off of his head and lifted the lid of his laptop, clicking the 'new message' button. 

It was an email from AO3, saying that he had new comments on his story, "Dark Sky". It was about a kid who grew up on the streets, stealing, spying, killing; then, one day someone found him. They were from the government, and they offered him a job in the military. He accepted, and started new. He got a new name, a new identity, a new life; but he still had the same scars. The scars that obstructed his view of the world. The scars that reminded him that there wasn't any good in the world, only corruption. The scars that darkened his vision, making the world gray. 

The story isn't a romance, it's just a story. A story about struggle, about reality. Because in real life there aren't new beginnings, not really. Levi believed this more than anyone, and no one could ever convince him otherwise. 

His phone ringing brought Levi out of his thoughts, and he didn't even bother to check who it was before answering. 

"Hello?" Levi's voice was low, but he found it was lost as he listened to the ramble on the other side of the line. Still, he managed two more words that pretty much summed up his thoughts. 

"Well, shit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I guess it's not that bad, kind of a filler, really. Still, I thought it was important for you guys to know how Levi feels about everything. To make things clear, Levi isn't still in love with Eren, by any means; he just wants to apologize. He wants to get it off his chest and move on with his Eren free life- but hell, we all know that's not gonna happen ;)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren arrives at his new school, and makes some potential friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm sorry that Eren has so many cars (I'm not stupid, I know that nobody actually just has that many cars) it's just that I really like vehicles so I'm trying really hard not to nerd out on y'all as it is so don't judge me because Eren has only like 3 vehicles, and that was a cut for me. Also, before someone says something, Eren's overly-expensive helmet is, in fact, a real thing that I read an article about awhile back. So, yeah. Read on.

Eren groaned and stretched on his seat, sounds escaping from his mouth that could have been easily mistaken as erotic. Whatever, it's not like the crew would be surprised anyway, even if he was doing something lewd. They had been around him long enough to know that he held no boundaries. (Unfortunately, they did have to learn that the hard way.)

"Mr. Yeager, we've arrived at the closest airport to your school. One of your cars should be waiting outside with the GPS already set for your dorm." The captain told him, looking very professional in his traditional pilot uniform standing in the doorway of the cabin. 

"Thanks." Eren strolled passed the pilot, immediately spotting his favorite black car about ten meters away. He watched the crew rush passed him, loading his carry on luggage into the car and saluting him before they returned to the plane. 

Eren rolled his eyes, these people took their jobs way too seriously. Though, he supposed he should be grateful, at least he knew the chances of him getting in a plane crash were about a hundred times lower with these tight-asses around. 

He slipped leisurely into the leather drivers seat of his car, sitting and listening to the engine purr for a minute before actually hitting start on the GPS and driving. 

The city of LA passed him by as he drove without thought, and he found that he wasn't nervous at all. The discovery didn't really surprise him, though; he hadn't felt much of anything for awhile...

Anyway, moving onto a less depressing topic, Eren smiled as he saw his favorite vehicles parked next to each other in front of an impressive looking building. 

The dorm wasn't white and marble like the beach villa, but it looked nice; homey, even. Eren pulled into an open space next to his other modes of transportation and stepped out of the car, snatching his carry-on from the back. 

He went inside and registered, got his room key, and headed to the top floor, taking the steps two at a time. 

His room was nice. It was large and clean, with two beds, a kitchen, and it's own bathroom. It also had a couch and a tv, with some video game consoles already hooked up.

Eren wondered who his roommate was going to be, he had asked but all the receptionist said was that he was a model student, president of the student council. 

Eren hoped he was cool, he didn't want to have some prick who would rat him out for underage drinking. He preferred someone who was friendly, but not pushy, also they couldn't be influenced too easily; although, he could have some fun with that. 

Eren could be slick when he wanted to be, though when he first started trying to pick up guys he was like a dry leaf. He was also thirteen, but that isn't important. 

"Fuck!" Eren cursed when he saw the time, remembering that today was Monday and despite the fact that he just got here he was still expected to be at class. He grabbed his keys and ran to his car, before deciding that it would be faster just to use his motorcycle. (A Yamaha R6, all black, of course.)

He slid on his helmet (which had cost as much as a used car, $6000) and directions popped up in the corner of his vision, his Bluetooth automatically connecting to the speakers that blasted music in his ears. 

Within five minutes, he was parked at the main building and running inside his class, his hair disheveled and a cigarette in hand. He hadn't seen an ash tray on his way in, and decided he would just carry it in. He was already half an hour late, what more damage could he give to his first impression. 

He pushed through the doors of classroom 104 loudly and examined the now silent room that was filled with his home room classmates. He took a seat somewhere near the back, towards the wall opposite of the door, and kicked his feet up on the desk comfortably without a word. 

The silent room broke out into whispers: 

"Look at him, he just walked in like he owned the place! Who does he think is?"

"He's really hot, did you see his eyes?"

"How many piercings does he have? Two below his lip, two on his eyebrow, three in each earlobe, two in his right cartilage, one in his left..."

"Are those tattoos?"

"He's lucky he's in Mike's class right now, any other teacher would've killed him for bringing in a cigarette."

"I hope he's not a pussy."

"I hope he's not a dick."

Eren just smirked and reclined further in his chair, balancing it on two legs. His eyes gleamed with amusement as he watched the teacher stiffen, probably trying to look intimidating. Ha! As if. Eren wanted to get kicked out of this place. (Though he had to admit it was actually nicer than he imagined.)

"I take it you are the transfer student." Eren nodded, taking another puff out of his cigarette, "Well, introduce yourself."

"I'm Eren Yeager," Eren didn't even change his position, and he could practically feel everyone's ears perk up to listen intently, "I'm 15, I came here from Florida. I like art and music, and that's all you need to know."

"Well, welcome to your home room class. Also, for future reference, there is no smoking allowed inside the school." The teacher glared, and Eren took the message and threw the cigarette bud out of an open window right next to him. 

This earned him an intense glare from the teacher, which he blissfully ignored for the rest of the class, which went by pretty uneventfully.

He saw some girls staring at him from the corner, obviously checking him out, and he probably would've been into them if, you know, he wasn't so fucking gay. 

 

The lecture had already ended, and Eren found himself standing in front of the office, staring at the secretary while she looked for his information. 

In all his haste, he had forgotten to get his locker number and combination. He really did have bad memory, which only made it that much harder to learn pretty much anything, ever. 

"You're at locker 221 B," The secretary finally looked up from her filing cabinet, folder in hand, "And your combination is *-**-**."

Eren smiled at her in thanks before he turned around and left the room. Now, just to find his locker among the thousands of others. (Okay, maybe not thousands but that's what it felt like.)

As he was looking down at the lockers he passed, trying to find his own, he slammed into another person, scattering their books everywhere. 

"Watch it, punk." A voice came from above him, which was weird because the girl he actually bumped into was underneath him. 

"Ymir!" The blonde beneath him squealed, obviously embarrassed by her friends rudeness. 

"No, it's alright," Eren crawled off of her, brushing himself off before helping her collect her books, "She's right, I should have been watching where I was going."

"Say, I haven't seen you around." The tall girl, Ymir, observed, "You new here?"

"Yeah, I'm Eren Yeager." Eren shook Ymir's hand, reaching out to shake the other girl's as well, but Ymir slapped his hand away. 

"Don't touch my Christa." She snapped, wrapping an arm around the shoulder of the blonde and leaning down a significant distance to kiss the girl on the forehead. 

"Ymir!" Christa blushed, and Eren quickly put the pieces together. 

"So you're a couple?" He asked, the arm that tightened protectively around Christa's shoulder answer enough. 

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Ymir defended, tensing up slightly. 

Eren laughed, "Just the opposite, actually." This seemed to loosen up the tall girl, but she still looked wary, "I'm glad I'm not the only homosexual around here."

His statement released the tension in the air, and Ymir actually laughed, "Oh, good. I thought maybe you were going to be a homophobe or something and lecture us about how it's 'unnatural'. But as for being the only gay, don't worry, there's plenty of homo feels to go around at this place." Ymir winked, and while Christa blushed and shrunk into her girlfriend even more, Eren smiled. 

"That's a relief." He chuckled, "Say, do you know where locker 221B is? I've been looking everywhere."

Christa's eyes lit up, and she actually said something other than 'Ymir!' for the first time since Eren saw her, "Yeah! That's right next to my locker. It's on the second floor, come on!" She motioned with her hand for him to follow, and maneuvered through the crowd dragging Ymir by the hand. 

Lots of shoving, two jerks, and one flight of stairs later, they were standing in front of locker 221B, right next to lockers 220B and 222B. 

"I'm 220, and Ymir's 222B!" Christa chirped, seeming much less shy than she was two minutes ago. 

"Alright, thanks." Eren leaned over to 'whisper' in Ymir's ear, "And don't worry, I won't judge you for making out against the lockers, as long as I can make it to mine."

Ymir smirked at this, and Christa (you guessed it) blushed, "That's good, because I wouldn't have cared even if you did."

Eren laughed for the umpteenth time since he met these two, and he had a feeling they were going to get along well, "Well, I just hope you don't mind if some asshole comes here demanding to know where I am and why I didn't call him." Eren half-joked, because he knew it would probably actually happen. 

Before they could answer, the bell rang, and Eren started to walk away with a wave. 

"Wait!" Ymir called, and Eren looked back, "Would you be into a party tonight?"

Eren smirked, he's always down for a party, "Find me at lunch."

 

The rest of the day went on without much activity, just introducing himself to new classmates and giving Ymir his number at lunch, telling her to text him the details. 

Now, he was pulling into the parking lot of his dorm, taking the steps to his floor two at a time. Yes, he took the steps, because he isn't exactly known for his patience and he swears there is nothing slower than that fucking elevator. 

Soon, he was unlocking his door, only to find that it was already open. He pushed it open the further with caution, scanning the room for an intruder. 

There was a blond kid sitting in the corner, nose in a book, before he looked up and saw Eren, a smile spreading across his face. Right, his roommate. Wow, he was stupid, how could he forget?

"I'm Armin!" The kid, Armin's, blue eyes gleamed with excitement, the joy rolling off the boy in waves, "You must be my new roommate..?"

"Eren Yeager." Eren confirmed, flipping his hair out of his face and scanning his new roomy's face carefully, before deciding that he should at least give the guy a chance. 

"I'm the student council president, so you can ask me any questions you might have." Eren smirked, he could have some fun with this kid by asking him any question he wanted, but he didn't want to scare him off yet. 

"Do you mind if I smoke?" Eren pulled out his pack of cigarettes and waved them in the air, before tossing them on his bed. 

"No," The kid shook his head, although Eren noticed his nose curl slightly, "As long as you open the window."

"Don't worry," Eren laughed, seeing the kid trying to hide his obvious dislike of smoke was humorous, but he was starting to feel kinda bad for him, "I don't smoke more than once a day."

He saw relief flood Armin's face, and he had to hold back a grin, "Oh, good, I don't really like smoke, so..."

"Yeah, I could tell." The blond grinned sheepishly, and Eren smiled genuinely (for the first time in awhile). "I think we can be friends, as long as you don't mind that I'm gay."

Armin seemed slightly taken aback at the sudden confession, but- much to Eren's relief- he didn't seem disgusted at all, "Oh, no, of course not! In fact, I'm actually kind of gay..."

"Kind of?" Eren teased, seeing the blush on the poor teen's face. Yup, this kid was gonna be fun. 

"I-I'm kind of undecided..." Armin muttered, and Eren could see why. This kid was literally more indecisive than Sasha when she was choosing what toppings she wanted on her pizza. ("Will pineapple taste weird with marshmallows?")

Speaking of Sasha, Eren needed to text his friends. He had left his phone in the room, so he hadn't been able to during the day. 

"Hey, can you toss me my phone?" 

"Sure." Armin picked it up, and it buzzed right as he did so. He looked at Eren with unbelieving eyes, "Dude, you have 128 unread texts and 26 missed calls!"

Eren's own eyes widened, and he snatched his phone from his new friend. Sure enough, his inbox was filled. Once he saw who they were from, it made sense, though. 

"Fucking Jean." Eren growled, not even bothering to read the messages. 

"Who's he? Ex-boyfriend?" Armin asked, and boy was he sorry he did; the look on Eren's face said that Jean was never really a happy topic. 

"You could say that." The brunette grumbled, his expression darkening as he thought about what happened the last time he saw Jean. 

"That bad?" Armin prompted, the look on his face more one of understanding rather than pity, and something about the way his eyes shined had Eren telling him the whole story behind him and Jean. 

"Wow, what a douche." Armin said after Eren finished explaining. Armin was a good listener; he didn't interrupt, he didn't judge, he just listened and waited quietly. 

"Tell me about it." 

Despite themselves, Eren and Armin found themselves laughing and holding onto each other, cracking up over nothing. 

"Hey," Eren started once they finally calmed down, still smiling at his new friend, "You want to go to the gym with me? I was going to go straight after school, but I forgot."

"Do I look like I work out?" Armin laughed, flexing his muscles (or lack-there-of) to further prove his point.

"It's never too late to start." Eren offered a hand out to the blond, who was now smiling largely, nodding his head. 

"Sure, just let me change."

 

Fifteen minutes later they were at the gym, locking the doors of Eren's car behind them. (Armin had been shocked when he saw the nice car, saying he was, "Rich, but not that rich.")

"Do you have a membership?" The guy at the front desk asked when they walked in, Eren pulling his card out of his pocket while Armin shook his head. The guy scanned Eren's card before looking expectantly at Armin. 

"He's with me; a guest." Eren answered the unspoken question, the desk guy nodding before typing something into his computer. 

"Alright, you're in." The guy buzzed them in, allowing them access to the gym area, "I'm Aorou, if you're coming here often."

Eren nodded in acknowledgment and opened the door for Armin and himself, it closed behind them with a click. 

"So, what first?" Armin started walking towards the machines, but Eren grabbed his arm and laughed, though the humor in his voice was minuscule. 

"First, conditioning." Eren pointed to the track, and he could practically feel the dread washing over his friend. 

 

"Did we really have to do 80 meters of high knees?" Armin groaned, pressing his head into his pillow and rubbing his calves. 

"Please," Eren laughed, "Whatever you were doing was definitely not high-knees. You didn't even hit your hands!" 

At this, Armin scoffed, "That's because you made me hold them up almost shoulder height!" He complained, his legs burning at the thought. 

"That's how you're supposed to do it!" Eren countered, "Besides, how come you aren't complaining about the soldier kicks? Or the grape vine?" 

"I was trying to forget about those, thanks." Armin glared, but the growing smile on his face defied the narrowing of his eyes. 

Eren opened his mouth to answer, but his phone buzzed. 

: Unknown- Hey party tonite is @ 7 we'll pik u up fifteen till :

It took a minute for Eren to realize that it was Ymir, but when he did he saved her contact into his phone. 

: Eren- Alright, sounds good! :

Eren scrambled to get changed, his previous conversation with Armin completely forgotten. That is, until the blue-eyed teen spoke up. 

"Where are you going?" Armin inquired, his head tilted curiously. 

"A party. Wanna come? I'm sure Ymir and Christa wouldn't mind." Eren offered, he didn't know the two very well but he had been around them long enough to know they wouldn't mind if someone like Armin tagged along. 

"Sure, I need something to get my mind off the numbing pain raking my body." Eren rolled his eyes at Armin's exaggeration, but smiled, despite himself. 

Twenty minutes later, the two were driving in Eren's black car, trailing Ymir and Christa's green truck. Eren had decided to let Armin drive, and there was only one thing he could say: never again. 

Although, the blond's crazy driving seemed completely random at first glance, after fifteen minutes of watching intently (to make sure they didn't crash) Eren noticed that it had a sort of strategy to it, and they were pulling up to a house pounding out blaring music before he knew it. 

Eren could already see drunk students in the yard, and he knew one thing for sure. 

Tonight was going to be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so, Armin is Eren's roommate. Sorry if it's poorly written, I have writers block and I just really wanted to get something up here. Anyway, I hoped you liked it! :3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren thought he was bad with hangovers, but then he met Armin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this is kind of just a stupid filler I wrote and I wasn't sure if I should put it in but then I was like, why not? So, if you don't like it then I'm sorry (/>.

Okay, let's back up to when they arrived at the party. 

~*Sponge bob time lapse voice* Last night~

The second Eren saw students already beyond drunk dancing in the front yard, he new this was going to be his kind of party. He grinned at the thought, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Armin eyeing him warily. 

"What?" Eren asked, the grin still plastered on his face. 

"Would you stop smiling like that? It's creeping me out." Armin mumbled, which only made Eren's grin grow. This kid...

Eren only winked at his friend in response, and the utter amount of creeped-out-ness showing on Armin's face made Eren have to fight not to laugh. 

"You suck." Armin muttered, but Eren knew he was biting back a smile. 

"You bet I do." Eren winked; he couldn't help himself, it was the perfect opportunity for a sexual pun. 

"Eren!" Armin reprimanded, and through the dim light provided by the moon, Eren could see a blush on the boy's cheeks, "I didn't mean it like that, you sicko."

"Oh, c'mon, you know it was the perfect setup." Eren prompted, and despite himself, the blond teen started laughing right along side his roommate. 

"Alright, fine, I was kind of asking for it." Armin admitted, adding under his breath, "I'll have to watch what I say around you, you perv."

Eren just laughed at this, and they had finally arrived at the front door of the house, where Ymir and Christa were waiting. They both looked good, Ymir in tight pants and a sequined shirt while Christa was in heels and a dress. 

"Hey, guys." Eren greeted, standing in place next to Ymir against a pillar, "This is-"

"Armin, we know." Ymir interrupted, and Eren watched on in semi-shock as Ymir and Armin did a complicated, finger-locking, secret hand shake thing. Like, the 'this is my main hook up for drugs and he's promised not to kill me if I pay up front' kind of secret hand shake. The kind that brought up memories for Eren. 

"Uh..." Oh, the intelligence that is Eren Yeager. (Please do note my oh-so-subtle sarcasm.)

"Don't look like that, you won't pick up any gir- er, guys, that is." Ymir chuckled, pulling at Eren's cheeks to further prove her point. 

This seemed to bring Eren back to earth; he hit Ymir's hands away from his face, rubbing his now red cheeks, "So, you guys are friends?"

"You could say that." He didn't like the smirk they gave each other, and he wasn't sure what it meant, but he was sure it couldn't be anything good. 

"Well, fuck that. I'm going to get a drink." Eren decided, pushing his way into the house to find where all the alcohol was being stored. He quickly found the source, and was soon walking back to his friends, traditional red solo cup in hand. 

"I see you found it." Ymir smirked, and he noticed that they all had somehow magically acquired drinks of their own. 

"How the f- you know what, I'm not even going to ask." Eren gulped down half of whatever he was drinking (like he had a clue what it was), before coming to the conclusion that it would not be strong enough to keep him sane if he was to continue to hang around these guys. 

"So, who's up for a game?" Ymir suggested, and the confident gleam in her eyes had Eren's dangerously competitive nature awaking deep inside of him. 

"You're on."

 

Eren slammed his empty cup down on the table, opening his mouth to show that he was done. He smiled in triumph, he had won again. It was now 8-0, with Eren in the lead. 

"I don't know how you're still standing, even Ymir is stumbling." Christa said quietly. They were now on the back porch, and Christa was right, Ymir was looking a bit beyond drunk. 

Eren and Ymir had played eight consecutive speed-drinking games, and Eren had won every single one of them. He was drunk, but he was better than Ymir, or even Armin for that matter, who was currently drinking his fifth cherry mix, or whatever it was. Christa was the only one who was even remotely sober, and that was because she hadn't drank anything (she was the designated driver, which she didn't mind).

"You know Eren, your eyes are, like, SUPER beautiful." Armin slurred, holding his drink in one hand and drunkenly waving his finger in Eren's direction. 

Eren laughed, the comment registering somewhere in the back of his mind, "You know, I get told that a lot, but I don't know what people see in them."

"No man, it's awesome. Your eyes are, like, blue, but they are also, like, kind of green, and they change color with the different lighting. It is mega cool. Like, even cooler than Mario Kart 8." Armin explained, waving his hands around in the air for emphasis. 

"No way..." Eren said in amazement, touching his eyes through his eyelids, "I am so cool." He muttered, the awe in his voice clear. 

Christa laughed as she watched the exchange, video recorder in hand, because this was definitely going on YouTube, and Facebook, and vine, and twitter, and pretty much every social media site ever. 

"Yeah, man. If we weren't friends I would totally kiss you." Armin admitted, not in the least bit bashful. 

"If I wasn't lesbian I would probably fuck you, too." Ymir slurred out for the first time, making her opinion known. 

"Aw, thank you." Eren cooed, as if this were somehow the best compliment he could have received. Christa rolled her eyes; why did she hang out with these people, again?

"But I won't, because I have Christa!" Ymir chirped, throwing an arm around the shorter girl and planting a kiss on her forehead. 

Right, that's why. 

Christa smiled as she continued to record the exchanges between her drunken friends, one second they'd be yelling and the next they'd be whispering in each other's ear, giggling. She decided she could live with this.

"Ok, ok, confession time!" Armin suggested, or, more like demanded, "Eren, you ask first."

"Um, ok," The teen flipped his brown hair out of his face, fumbling with his lip ring, "Okay, I got it. Ymir, have you ever smoked something other than a cigarette?"

Ymir scoffed, "What do I look like?" She snapped, and Eren was about to apologize for asking when she continued, "A goody-goody? Of course, I've done some things; though, I want specify just what exactly. You know, just in case you're a cop or something."

Eren laughed at this, his features loosening up, but Armin looked at them with wide eyes, "You guys smoke weed?"

"Oh, our dear Armin, you don't want to know." Eren winked, and the blond, in all his drunkenness, completely forgot what he had been talking about in the first place and just shrugged. 

"Ok, my turn," Ymir slurred, making a comical thinking face for a minute before she continued, "Armin, have you ever failed a test?"

The look of terror on the blond's face was answer enough, "No... But I have nightmares about it." Christa could practically hear the shiver run down his spine, while the others just laughed even harder than they were before. 

"Really? That's why I got sent here in the first place; because I was failing." Before Armin could vocalize his thoughts on the subject, Eren cut in, "It's your turn, Armin."

"Huh? Oh, right." 

Out of the three thinking faces, Armin's was by far the funniest; he had his elbow resting on his knee and his chin was propped up on his hand, which was pointed like a gun. His eyebrows were scrunched together and his lips were pursed tight, until he finally thought of something, "Eren, are you a virgin?"

Eren laughed. He just laughed. He didn't even answer the question (nor could he have in his condition). It started out just a humored chuckle, but escalated into a full-blown maniacal laughing fit in no time. 

"Do I come off as a virgin?" Eren asked once he finally calmed down a bit, and his friends (who had started laughing with him, though they didn't know why) somehow didn't manage to realize it was a rhetorical question. (It was probably the alcohol, just saying.)

"No/Yes." They said in unison, then looked at each other like they were crazy. 

"What do you mean, 'yes'?" Ymir ridiculed, eyeing Armin as if contemplating whether or not to call the asylum to report an escapee. 

"I don't know, I mean, I guess now that I think about it he does seem experienced..." Armin thought aloud; Eren just leaned back and listened to the budding argument, nodding after each statement as if they had a good point. 

"Yeah, I can guarantee you he knows what he's doing, right, Eren?" Ymir looked to the subject of their conversation, who nodded heavily, caught up in how his eyes bobbed back and forth with his head, "Speaking of, just how much experience do you have?" It was a blunt question, and, had he been sober, Eren probably would have hesitated to answer. 

That being said, Eren was obviously not sober. So, Eren looked around as if to check if there was anyone around (which there was) before leaning in to Ymir's ear, cupping his mouth with his hands and whispering something. Ymir's jaw dropped slightly and she looked in disbelief at Eren, who just backed away holding a finger to his lips, making an absurdly loud 'shh' sound. 

 

They continued on like that for awhile, and while her friends goofed off Christa started picking and choosing select clips to include in the video she would be posting. Eventually, Christa drove everyone home, and they got to sleep around 3am. 

 

And that brings us to where we are now, Eren sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee, and Armin lying in bed groaning, claiming he's never going to drink ever again. 

"I swear, Eren, next time I might as well be designated driver because there is no way alcohol is going anywhere near my mouth for at least a millennia." Armin rambled, his voice muffled by the pillow, "I'm not even kidding. Maybe I should start a prohibition movement, then I won't even be tempted. Man, this is an enlightening experience. It just goes to show that good things have to come to an end, you know?"

"I know, I know. You do have to get up for school, like, now, though. If you don't want to be late, that is."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how Eren learned that there is no better motivation for Armin than being late. The kid rushed to get ready, showering in under two minutes and throwing on some clothes from the floor. 

By some miracle, the blond had managed to look fashionable, despite his seemingly nonexistent effort, and Eren wondered how he did it. 

"What class are you in?" Eren asked as they walked to his car; they decided to car pool this morning. 

"102, actually. I wasn't there yesterday for home room, though; I had a meeting." Armin explained as he climbed into the luxurious passenger seat of Eren's car, buckling to shut up the annoying *ding*s of the car. 

"Oh, alright. That's right next to my classroom, isn't it?" Eren asked, looking either way as he pulled out of the parking lot, not really in the mood to get in a car crash, surprisingly enough. 

"Yeah. What locker are you?" Armin answered, watching the trees whiz by at incredible speed out the window. 

"221B."

"Oh," Armin said simply, a slight pout beginning to form on his face, "I am 131A, the opposite direction."

For the rest of the ride they sat in comfortable silence, and Eren was surprised that he had made new friends so quickly. He had honestly thought that he wouldn't meet anyone agreeable, and that he would have to deal with brats the whole year. 

Speaking of friends, Eren needed to call his. He was supposed to call them yesterday, but he had forgotten all about it in all the excitement of the new start. 

They pulled into the school lot, and instead of going inside Eren veered off to the corner of the building, "I'm going to make a quick call." Eren yelled over his shoulder, knowing Armin would be confused about where he was going. 

As soon as he turned the corner, Eren had his phone in his hand, dialing his best friends number. 

"Hey, about time." A voice muttered from the other line after the third ring, and despite the clear annoyance Eren could hear the relief in Connie's voice. 

"Sorry, man. I was at a party and-"

"You're in California for one day and already partying hard?" Before Eren could defend himself, Connie continued, "That's my boy."

Eren smiled. Just the familiarity of Connie's voice and humor was making him relax, and he suddenly got a terrible case of homesickness. 

"Yeah, the people here are better than expected. I've already two lesbians and an undetermined." Eren joked, and he could feel Connie's eye roll on the other end. 

"Well, I'm glad you've gathered your people. Now you can all be gay, together." Connie teased, though he had to admit he was a little jealous of the community feeling between gay people when they were all gathered together. 

"Yeah, we like to talk about how fun it is to be gay." Eren rolled his eyes, sarcasm dripping heavily in his voice. Connie really was an idiot, sometimes. 

"I'm sure," Eren couldn't see Connie, but he was sure the punk was smirking (jerk), "So... Any hot guys?"

"Well, there is one that looks pretty tasty." Eren humored his friend, thinking of the guy he had seen in his home room, with the dark hair and green eyes. 

"Go figure."

"You're a jerk."

"I know." 

Despite himself, Eren was smiling. He couldn't help it, he really did love his friends more than anything. 

"Although," Connie's voice darkened, "There is someone who I'm sure wouldn't be too happy about you saying that."

"That you're a jerk?" 

"What? No. That you want to bang some guy at your school. Gosh, idiot." Connie muttered in disbelief, and Eren could just imagine the incredulous look on his face. 

"Oh. You don't mean..." 

"Yeah, him." Eren found his own features falling as his friend went on, "Guess who decided to pay me a visit because his boyfriend isn't answering any of his texts or calls and is never home?"

"You're kidding?" Eren gasped, to think he would go that far... "Bastard..."

"You're telling me. I don't even know how he found out where I live!"

"His uncle is in the police force, or something." Eren replied, though his voice was distant, "Damn it!"

"Hey, it's no problem, really." Connie reassured, but Eren knew that it had probably been more troublesome than his friend was letting on. 

"Alright, well, I gotta go. I'm already late for class. Later." Eren hung up, and he scrolled through his contacts. His thumb hovered over a name, gathering the strength to actually click it. 

Finally, he found himself holding the phone to his ear, and after the first ring a voice came from the other line. 

"Hello?"

Eren took a deep breath, this was a conflict he had been avoiding since that night, "Jean."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connie!! :D .... Jean!! D: Ok, I'm only a little bit sorry for posting this. But it is so hard not to have Levi just come in out of nowhere like "Eren marry me plz" so give me a break, please. Anyway, next chapter is probably going to be Levi again. Hope you liked it! <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi, against his will, socializes for a change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know I haven't posted in forever but I had to decide how I wanted Eren and Levi to meet and there are so many ways that I like but I've finally decided, so, I should be back up and running.

Chapter 9

"Ok, it's not as bad as it looks." Levi held up his hands in defense when his best friend walked into the room, a shocked look on her face. 

"Levi, this..." Hanji muttered, her eyebrows furrowed, "This is amazing! You've finally given up your crazy cleaning habits!" She squealed, her eyes lighting up like the Fourth of July. 

"Hanji," Levi warned, the tone in his voice cold as ice, "I'm not turning into a slob. You just caught me at a bad time; I've been looking for something." Levi motioned to the open boxes spread around his room, their contents emptied out into his bed and floor. 

"Oh? And what might that be?" Hanji quizzed as she picked up an old baby blanket from the floor, holding it away from her with two fingers. 

Levi snatched it from her hands, "Give me that! It's a picture," He sighed, continuing reluctantly, "It's a picture from preschool."

Hanji seemed to realize what he meant and nodded once, staring at him with concern (a weird look for Hanji), "Levi, you should-"

"Forget about him, I know." Levi snapped, his gaze softening when he looked at his best friend again, "I know, I was just thinking of him, that's all."

"Well, how about this," Hanji smiled mischievously, holding her hands out as if offering him something, "We invite everyone over to your house to get your mind off things."

Levi deadpanned, "Are you serious? Because if so, there is no way in hell-"

"Oh, come on!" Hanji cut off her friend, turning on her puppy dog eyes, "Please, it'll be fun!"

Levi stared her in the eye for a full minute before he finally caved in, "No, and you have to help me clean." He grumbled, slowly rising from the bed to begin tidying his apartment. 

Hanji groaned and began wandering mindlessly as she cleaned, rambling on about how awesome it would have been. 

*Buzz* 

The noise repeated itself, the device convicted of emitting the noise moving ever so slightly across Levi's nightstand. He didn't even bother to see who it was before he answered, and he waited for them to speak first. 

"Captain?" A voice sounded from over the line, ringing loudly in Levi's ears. 

He pulled the phone away from his face, "What is it?"

"Well, we were just wondering when you would be back..."

Levi's eyes widened, and he realized in that moment that he hadn't actually called the school to tell them that he was sick, nor did he tell his club that he wouldn't be at meetings for a week.

"... Captain? Are you still there?"

"Um, yeah, my bad. Uh, actually, I'm sick so I won't be in till Friday..." Levi muttered, trying to keep the shame out of his voice. 

"Oh, ok. Well, I'll tell everyone else. Get better, captain!" 

"Yeah. Thanks, ??" Levi hung up and sighed, letting his phone drop on his bed. 

"The club?" Hanji asked from across the room, carefully picking up an old, crumpled letter in her hands. 

"Mm-hmm." Levi rolled his head to the side, only to see Hanji opening the letter to read it. He reached over and snatched it out of her hands just as she finished opening it, "Don't read private stuff, four-eyes."

Hanji just whistled before she continued with her work. Levi re-folded the letter and put it in his desk drawer, deciding that he was going to by a padlock as soon as he was well. 

"If it wouldn't kill you, would you mind keeping your nose out-" Levi was cut off by the doorbell ringing, and his glare at Hanji increased tenfold. 

"Um, surprise?" Hanji squeaked unsurely, sprinting to the door and hiding behind Erwin before Levi had the chance to skin her alive with a rusty spoon. 

"Uh..." Erwin looked at the girl huddled behind him and then back at the boy lurking angrily down the hall, "Bad time?"

"No, no," Hanji squealed nervously, "Perfect time! Let's get this party started!"

"No one else is here-"

Hanji slapped a hand over Erwin's mouth, "Don't be a party pooper, sweetheart."

Erwin looked again at Levi, who was still lurking angrily in the hallway, "Tch, the only party we're having is a cleaning party."

"Aw, Levi you're so boring," Hanji dragged out, waving her hands around for emphasis, "It's no wonder Eren ditched you." 

Levi's aura changed from one of anger to plain out murderous as he lunged for his friend, plowing straight through the tall blond named 'Erwin'. 

"You piece of crap..." Levi grabbed for Hanji's hair, having trouble reaching around the obstacle that is Erwin separating them, "I'll freaking kill you, four-eyes."

Just as Levi finally got a good grip on Hanji's hair, four more pairs of footsteps echoed in the door way. 

"Um..." Aurou looked at the large man sandwiched between a boy holding a fistful of hair triumphantly and a girl clutching at that same hair in pain, "Bad time?"

"Yes/No." Levi and Hanji answered at the same time, both turning to glare at each other in sync. 

"This little fuc- I mean, four eyed freak invited everyone here without my permission. There is no party." Levi spat, still squirming to reach Hanji's face.

"Aw, Levi you're so boring." Petra dragged out, waving her hands in the air for emphasis, "It's no wonder why Bertolt left you."

"This feels like déjà vu..." Erwin muttered, seemingly the only one who was completely lost. 

"We know that Hanji didn't tell you, Levi. That's why we all arrived together." Ethan said, earning an incredulous look from Erwin. 

"I'm pretty sure no one told me that Hanji didn't tell Levi." Erwin mumbled, almost making Levi smile. 

"If you knew you weren't permitted here, then why did you come?" Levi spat, getting more annoyed with his height predicament by the second; why couldn't Hanji just lean down a little so that he could strangle her more easily?

"Because," Aorou smirked and crossed his arms, picking up an apple from the counter and taking a bite, "We felt like it."

The whole group groaned, and Levi glared at the man who was now eating his last apple, "You're not cool, Aorou." He stated dryly, "That was my last apple."

Aorou spit out the bits of apple that were in his mouth all over the ground when someone suddenly ran into the back of him, knocking the both of them over and into Levi's dining chair, which cracked beneath their weight. 

Everyone stared at Levi, who was in a silent rage, "Did you just spit on my floor?" He hissed, gray eyes burning with fury. 

"Levi, calm the fuck down. I'll clean it up." Erwin offered, finally getting tired of being sandwiched between his two friends and shoving them both off of him. He pulled out a paper towel and wiped up the half-eaten chunks of apple, a slight grimace takin over his features. 

Levi was still scowling, but it was getting harder to stay angry as he looked at all his friends. Finally, sighing, he agreed, "Well, don't just stand there, losers." 

That was about as good of a 'welcome to my home' as they were going to get, and they were elated, especially a certain four eyed brunette, "Yay! Levi, I knew you love us!"

Levi spun on his heel and pointed a warning finger, "Watch yourself, four eyes." He turned around and strutted (yes, Levi struts) down the hall, pretending not to hear his friends laughter. 

"So, what are we going to watch?" Levi recognized the voice immediately, but he didn't remember seeing him come in. 

"When did you get here, Eld?" Levi asked, and everyone looked at him incredulously. 

"He's been here the whole time, Levi."

Yet another person Levi didn't realize had arrived, "You're here?"

"Yes, Levi, I'm here." The man answered, pushing his brown hair out of his face. 

"I think that we should watch Human Centipede." Hanji cut in, going back to the subject of movies. 

"No one cares what you think, four eyes."

"I care what she thinks, Levi." 

Levi tutted, "You care about everything, Gunther. Except, apparently, breaking my chair."

"Oh, you noticed?" Eld teased, earning a roll of the eyes from Levi.

"You guys all suck." Levi said, the small smile on his face betraying his words. 

Ethan raised his hand, "I say we watch It." Everyone, excluding Levi, seemed to be happy about this decision; so, they watched It. 

After two hours of pure torture, Levi flicked the tv off, "I hate clowns."

"Even more than you hate us?" Erwin joked, though the look on Levi's face said that he was not amused. 

"You're up there," Levi said, not noticing that Hanji was behind him until she suddenly grabbed his shoulders, causing a girlish squeal to escape his lips, "You know what? You guys are at the top, now. I'm going to bed."

As he crawled into bed, Levi could hear the laughter of his friends from the living room. He fell asleep to thoughts of clowns, friendship, and sea green eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it's short and not very good, but I wanted to have some interactions between Levi and his friends, so.... Sorry, I hope you guys liked it!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren tells Armin about his fun phone call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, it's another short chapter. My specialty. 
> 
> I'm sorry T.T
> 
> Also, WARNING: THERE IS TO A CERTAIN DEGREE DESCRIPTIVE VIOLENCE
> 
> It's really not that bad, just a small description but thought I should warn you guys just in case. :*

Eren threw his backpack against the wall as soon as he walked through the door to his room, forgetting the possibility that someone else might be there.

"Eren?" Armin's voice sounded from his bed, a worried look on his face as he watched Eren pace around the room with his hands twisted in his hair.

"What?" Eren snapped, glaring coldly at his roommate, green eyes filled with anger.

"Oh, sorry. I just wanted to know if anything was wrong." Armin said carefully, not wanting to set off his friend again.

Eren's face softened as he looked at the frightened blond, "No, I'm sorry. It's just," Eren hesitated, "Well, my boyfriend called."

Armin's head snapped up and he looked at Eren oddly, "And that's a bad thing because..?"

"You know what he said?..."

 

**~~flash back~~**

 

" _Hello_?"

Eren took a deep breath before answering, "Jean."

" _Eren? What the hell, babe? I've been trying to contact you forever!_ " The voice on the other line of the call rose, and Eren prepared himself for the conversation ahead of them.

"Yeah, believe me, I know." Eren replied, earning him a scoff from the other line.

" _Than why haven't you answered?_ " Jean demanded, quickly growing agitated.

"Because, in case you've forgotten, the last time I saw you was when you were making out with another person." Jean was silent, which Eren took as a cue to keep going, "You cheated on me. And right after we made it official, too!"

" _Actually, if I remember correctly, you rejected me, so we weren't technically official._ " Before Eren could force his opinion on Jean, Jean continued, " _Besides, don't act like you weren't late because you were finishing up a round with some other guy._ " He spat.

Eren was seething, "Actually, I was with my father. He was taking me out to dinner to tell me that he was sending me to fucking California!" Eren snapped, immediately regretting it as he slapped a hand over his mouth. Why, oh why, does he have no filter?

They were both silent for a moment, but when Jean cut that silence his voice was low, " _...California?_ "

Panic bubbled in the pit of Eren's stomach, "Um, listen, Jean-"

" _No,_ " He cut Eren off, " _Are you telling me you are in California right now?_ " Eren didn't say anything. " _Were you ever going to tell me?_ " Jean's asked quietly, and Eren's panic rose even more; as much as he didn't want to be around the horse face, right now, he really didn't want to lose him.

"Yes! Jean, I swear, I was planning on telling you!" The only sound that could be heard from the other line was a sigh, and Eren thought he would be overwhelmed any second.

Finally, Jean replied, " _Eren, I love you. You know that, right?_ "

"Yes."

" _Then, will you let me come see you?_ "

Silence.

" _Eren._ "

"Jean," Eren started, "You can't come here."

" _Why not?!_ " Jean yelled over the line, and Eren had to pull the phone away from his ear.

"Because, things aren't the same." Eren answered shakily calm, trying to keep his own emotions under control.

" _You're telling me that things are so different that your boyfriend can't even come to see you? Tell me where you are, damn it!_ " Jean shouted, and Eren could only imagine the looks that people would be giving him if they heard him.

"I thought you said you weren't my boyfriend." Eren hissed back, recalling what Jean had said just minutes ago.

Jean scoffed, " _Are you kidding me? Of course, you're my boyfriend. I only said that to prove my point._ "

If that was supposed to soothe Eren, it certainly didn't work, "Oh, so now I'm only your boyfriend when it's convenient?"

" _Eren, you know that's not what I meant._ " Jean said softly, and the sound was so welcomingly familiar that for a moment Eren wished that he _could_ see him again.

"Then, what _do_ you mean, Jean? Because quite frankly, I have no idea how I am supposed to know what you mean when you never say it."

" _What are you going on about, Eren? I always make it clear what I mean._ "

Eren laughed humorlessly, "Oh, is that so? Because I didn't think I was your boyfriend until a couple days ago."

Jean sighed from the other line, " _Eren, that's different. I just assumed you knew that you were mine._ "

Was he being serious?

"That's exactly what I'm talking about, Jean! You always just assume that I know things that you never say!"

" _Alright. I'm sorry, Eren. I'll try to be more clear from here on out._ " Before Eren could say something, Jean finished, " _Like how I'm coming to California to see you whether you like it or not._ "

All the thank you's that Eren was planning flew out the window, "What the hell, Jean? I said no!"

" _And I just made it clear that I don't care what you say about it. So, don't bother._ " Jean shot back, the smugness seeping into his voice.

"Fine," Eren hissed, "I won't bother."

 

**~~current time~~**

 

"And then I hung up." Eren finished, watching for a reaction from Armin. To be honest, venting to Armin had made him feel a lot better. Maybe Armin could be his new therapist? (Yeah, right.)

"Wow." Armin finally said, causing Eren to laugh.

"That's all? I'm shocked that the ever-speaking Armin has nothing else to say." Eren teased, and Armin shoved his shoulder playfully.

"Shut up. Besides, didn't you know he had slept with other people before that? And you had slept with other guys, too, right?" Armin inquired, his head tilted in curiosity.

Eren sighed, "Yeah, but this was different. Not only was it supposed to be our first actual date, but it was also the shock of actually witnessing it. It made it more real, somehow..."

Armin hummed, nodding his head in understanding, "Well, what do you say we do something? You know, to get your mind off things."

"Like what? Go to a party?" Eren winked teasingly, earning a groan from his roommate.

"Never again." Armin lolled his head back, "How about the gym? You seem to like that well enough."

Eren's eyes widened, "Are you sure? I mean, I'm pretty sure you actually died the last time we went. Now, you're haunting me. I'm talking to a ghost."

"Shut up." Armin pushed Eren, who fell off the bed laughing.

"You know, it's a good thing you don't go to the gym often. Otherwise, your bad habit of shoving me might actually hurt." Eren teased, rolling out of the way to dodge the shoe that Armin threw at him.

"I fucking hate you." Armin pouted, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Oh, c'mon, bae. You know you love me." Eren cooed, grabbing Armin's hands in his and swinging them.

"Did-" Armin looked at Eren incredulously, "Did you just call me 'bae'?"

Eren winked at Armin, pulling him off the bed.

"Please, don't." Armin said, knowing in his heart that this was a futile effort.

"Aw, don't be like that, bae." Eren frowned exaggeratedly, causing Armin's eye to twitch.

"Eren, dear."

"Yes?"

"Call me 'bae' one more time and I will skin you." Eren looked back to see if his friend was joking; he wasn't.

Eren began to drag his friend out of the room hurriedly, "So, the gym, huh?"

Armin decidedly ignored that his friend seemingly believed that he would actually skin him, and instead nodded with a smirk, "Yeah, the gym."

Before long they were pulling into the parking lot of the local athletic center, and Armin had to make Eren re-park three times before he was satisfied with the space ratio on either side, "Fucking nerd." Eren muttered under his breath, returning the glare Armin sent him with an innocent smile. 

"You're back." The guard at the door said monotonously, scowling in what Eren supposed was an attempt to look cool, "ID?"

Eren handed it over before strolling into the gym with Armin at his side, turning to go to the weight lifting section. 

"Do you want me to be your spotter?" Armin offered when Eren sat down at the bench, helping him put more weights on either side of the equipment. 

Eren nodded and smiled before laying back in the seat, finally satisfied with the weight, "So," he grunted as he lifted it the first time, "How was your day?"

Armin chuckled, blue eyes twinkling down at Eren from above, "It was good, I passed my history test without a single note."

"That's great, Armin!" Eren smiled, counting in his head what lift he was on, "You're really smart, aren't you? My dad probably wishes that I was like you."

"Don't say that, Eren," Armin gave his friend a reprimanding look, "Your Dad loves you."

Eren laughed at this, "Yeah, right. He sent me across the country because he didn't want to deal with my shit!"

"He sent you across the country so that you could get better," Armin insisted sternly, adding with a more gentle tone, "And you will."

"Not with you dragging me to all those parties, I wont." Eren teased, winking up at the groaning blond. 

"You're never going to let that go, are you?" Armin lolled his head back, taking the shit eating grin on his roommate's face as his answer, "Oh, that reminds me! Eren, what club are you going to sign up for?"

Eren seemed to ponder this for a moment before finally giving his answer, "Probably swimming, maybe even soccer."

"You like sports, huh?" Armin smirked, "Why am I not surprised?"

"Shut up. You know," Eren started as he rested the bar on the small hooks provided by the machine, "I don't think you ever-"

"Eren!" Armin screamed, cutting off whatever his friend was about to say as he watched the metal bar slip off of the hooks, and everything went in slow motion. 

Eren looked up at Armin's warning and instinctively reached a protective arm up to guard his face. Armin dove forward to try to catch the weights but didn't make it in time, the bar slipping right through his fingers. The ear splitting sound of Armin's scream covering the sickening crunch of Eren's arm being crushing under the weight of the equipment. 

Armin looked in horror at the fragment of bone piercing through Eren's skin tissue, the epidermis of his right forearm completely torn up. He grimaced, he was going to throw up if he had to stay here any longer. 

The blond teenager stood up and ran for the door, looking for the guard and quickly finding him, "Sir, we need help! You have to call 911!"

"What's the matter, brat?" The guard spat, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms lamely. 

Armin shook his head, he didn't have time for this, "Go and see for yourself if you don't believe me! Just call them, now!"

The guard hesitantly started inside, following Armin's lead until he finally reached the brunet clutching his arm on the floor. The man took a sharp intake of breath as he examined the teenager on the ground, immediately turning on his heel to go call 911.

Suddenly, he felt a hand grab his ankle and turned around, shocked to find that the injured boy had moved a few feet and was stopping him from leaving; the brat shouldn't have even been able to move through all that pain, "What are you doing?" The boy hissed, cerulean eyes burning with anger (??)

"I'm calling an ambulance for you, brat." The guard snapped and stepped back slightly when the bright eyed kid somehow stumbled to his feet. 

"Don't you dare!" Eren spat, "My father will kill me if he sees the medical bill!"

"Relax, kid," the employee started, "The gym will reimburse you the money."

"I don't care about the money! He will think I got into a fight! Do you honestly think he will believe that it was a weight training accident?" Eren yelled, the man only sighed. 

He reached up and rested his hand on Eren's shoulder, "It's company policy-"

"Don't touch me!" Eren shouted, swinging his fist back on instinct before snapping it back to meet the older man's face. For a kid who shouldn't even have the energy to talk right now, he sure could pack a punch. 

"Eren!" Armin squeaked, rushing to the now bleeding guards side, checking the man's face before glaring at the raging brunet, "Calm the fuck down, you need to go to the hospital! I'll take responsibility for the bill, just go!"

Eren looked uneasy but allowed Armin to call an ambulance, still apprehensive even after he was in the back of the emergency vehicle with drugs being pumped into his system. 

As whatever pain killer they were giving him kicked in, his temper soon left him and he was all giggles, "Free drugs? Now, this is the life."

The paramedic raised his eyebrows at Armin, who shrugged apologetically, "Sorry, he's a little crazy."

"Hey! I heard that, bae." Eren pouted, reaching up to poke Armin's cheek, only to wince at the pain that seared through his knuckles when he did; Armin could only sigh. 

"So, what happened, again?" The medic questioned, it was the third time so far in the ten minute ride. 

"Well," Armin started to explain, "The metal bar with the weights on it slipped off of the hooks and crushed his arm, and when the guard tried to call 911 Eren got mad and punched him in the face."

The man looked incredulously at the blond, "After his arm was this disfigured, he got up and punched someone in the face? How? More importantly, why?"

These were questions that even Armin didn't know the answer to, "I haven't a clue. As to why, he didn't want his Dad seeing the medical bill."

"Well, I guess I can't blame him for that. The surgery needed to fix that arm is going to cost quite a bit."

"Oh, no," Armin laughed, "Money is no problem. This moron has, like, three Ferraris in the school dorm lot. He just doesn't want his dad thinking he got into a fight."

"...But he did?"

"I know," Armin sighed, looking exasperatedly down at his giggling friend, "I don't think that he really thought that one through thoroughly."

The paramedic just laughed as he continued to tend to Eren's immediate needs, "I like this kid, already." 

The rest of the ride was completed in a comfortable silence, the only sound other than the hum of the engine and the beeping of the monitor being Eren's giggles and occasional groans. 

Much too soon for Armin's liking, he was standing outside of the hospital, watching as his new best friend was being rushed into the OR.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, before you guys get and at me or something let me explain. This chapter was too short and I needed something else so I added that whole broken arm thing. Also, it would make part of the plot more legitimate so... Yeah, it's really not a huge deal and Eren's not going to get some killer disease or something, don't worry.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Really short, but I wanted to put Levi's reaction to Aorou's (slightly disfigured) face. Also, who doesn't need a little mischievous Hanji in their life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, I'm posting another chapter right after this, I just wanted you all to know how I imagined Levi reacting to seeing Aorou. (Also, I'm uploading this from mobile and my battery is about to die, so sorry if there are any mistakes, I didn't have time to edit.)

"Whoa," Levi stared at his friend, "What happened to you?"

Aorou just scowled and looked away, so Petra decided to explain for him, "He got beat up by a kid at his gym."

Levi tried, he really did, but he couldn't hold back his laughter. It was just like Aorou to get put in his place by a gym brat, with the way he talked to them Levi could understand perfectly well where he was coming from. 

Erd walked in behind them and looked between the laughing Levi and the scowling, blushing Aorou, immediately deducing what was going on and chuckling, "You should have seen the security tapes, Levi."

"Yeah," Gunther intruded, "If you like fucking gore. You should have seen the kid's arm; 160lbs barbell fell on him so he reached his arm up to protect himself. It was nasty, the bone was sticking through his skin and there was blood everywhere, but he still got up and punched this loser in the face!"

Aorou finally cut in, feeling like he should have a say in the conversation given that he was the one who was there, "The stupid brat didn't want me to call an ambulance, something about how his dad would think he got in a fight."

The more Levi heard of the story, the harder he laughed, "That brat sounds relentless." _Sounds like someone I knew._

"Oh, what's this? Levi laughing? That's new." A deep voice chuckled from the doorway, earning an immediate glare from the raven haired teen. 

"Shut it, Commander Eyebrows," Levi hissed, narrowing his eyes when the the tall blond only laughed more, "Anyway, shouldn't you all be at school? It's Wednesday."

Slowly but surely, every person in the room turned to the girl standing sheepishly in the corner of the room, who had stayed surprisingly quiet given that it is her. 

"Hanji, what did you do?" Levi demanded, noticing the incredulous looks on all of his friends faces. 

"Um, well, you see," Hanji stammered, "I might have, kind of, sent everyone a text saying that school was cancelled so that we could come see you?" She rushed. 

No one said anything for awhile, before Levi finally broke the silence, "Leave." He commanded, and everyone quickly shuffled out of the room, muttering things about how mad their teachers will be. 

After everyone had gone, Levi found himself alone in his apartment. He soon began to miss their presence, and decided that if he wanted to get through to Friday he was definitely going to need a drink.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren goes to school after a day in the hospital. 
> 
> Rumors have spread, but more importantly, Eren needs to know who this hot guy is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I just wrote this and haven't edited it yet so I'm sorry if it's not that good but I feel bad because it's been forever since I last updated T.T Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

By the time Eren had returned to school, word had already spread of his little adventure at the gym like wild fire. He could hear people whispering and gossiping about him as he walked down the hallway, and everyone made sure to step out of his way. 

_"Did you hear? The new kid has already gotten into a fight!"_

_"He looked kind of badass before, but I thought he was just one of those wannabes..."_

_"I wonder how it happened."_

_"You don't know? Marrissa said that Claire, who heard from Audrey, said that some guy at the club tried to force himself onto him but he got away, breaking his arm in the process!"_

Eren scoffed at that last one; I mean, seriously? How did rumors even snowball like that? Whatever, it was none of their business how he got into a fight. And it would never be anyone's business. Especially not his father's. 

Armin, who had worried himself sick in the waiting room, explained to Eren, after he had calmed down, that perhaps starting a fight with someone about not wanting his dad to think he got into a fight was not the best solution. Eren thought that perhaps Armin was right. 

But, it's too late now. He, as a result of idiotically dropping a barbell on his face, has a broken arm, Armin had to pay for his hospital bill, and he has to wait 8 weeks for his arm to heal. Now, he always has healed faster than the average person, but this time the bone was completely shattered, so he wasn't too sure. This also meant that he couldn't join any sports clubs, and since his dad would flip if he didn't join any clubs, he is now looking at his options. 

Eren rolled his eyes as he walked by all the campaign posters for the different clubs; did they have to be so flashy? Seriously, it was a major turn off to have rainbow, bejeweled letters. However, just as he was about to give up all together he saw one that caught his eye. 

"The art club, eh?" He said aloud, jumping when a hand touched his shoulder, "What the-" 

"If you're interested in the art club, I'm sorry, but it's full; you'll have to try again next semester." Eren turned to look at the guy standing behind him, he was tall, with dark brown hair and even darker brown eyes. 

"Oh, alright." Eren finally said, shrugging the other teen's hand off of his shoulder. 

"You could try something else, like the football club?" At that suggestion Eren held up his casted arm, and the guy nodded in realization, "Or maybe the music club, if that's what you're into."

Eren sighed, he had to join a club or his father would be pissed, and since all sports and art were out, he supposed music was his only choice, "Alright, where do I sign up?"

The mysterious boy smiled, "Follow me," He lead Eren down a labyrinth of corridors before they finally reached a small office, "This is the student council room, I'll sign you up."

"Thanks." Eren said awkwardly, not quite sure where to go. He decided on just standing near the door and shoving his hands in his pockets, examining the room more carefully. 

In the middle of the office there was a shiny, chestnut conference table with six old, leather chairs pulled up to it. In the farthest corner from the door there was a dusty bookshelf and a large black chair with a rip that had some stuffing sticking out, and a big campaign poster that read, "Armin for president, 2014", was tacked up on the crimson painted wall, but one of the nails had fallen out so the corner was peeling off lazily, covering half of the ad. 

"Did you hear me?"

Eren snapped out of his dazed state, "Sorry, what?"

The boy smiled and laughed, he had a nice smile, "I asked for your name, I'll need to ask you some questions for your form."

"Oh, right. Um, my name's Eren Jäeger." He stumbled, caught off guard with his sudden realization of just how damn attractive the tall boy in front of him was. 

"Cute..." The other boy mumbled under his breath, quiet enough so that Eren couldn't hear. Still, this brought Eren back to his senses and he quickly straightened up, he wasn't the stammering type, he was the one that would seduce the teacher to get an 'A'. 

"Anything else you want from me?" Eren purred suggestively, his attitude changing in an instant as he took a daring step closer to the now blushing boy. 

"U-Um, I need your age?" The boy said, shyly averting his eyes so he wouldn't have to see the way Eren was glaring at him for ignoring his offer. 

"I'm 15."

"Thank you. How about the name(s) of parents/legal guardian?"

Eren looked away at the question, seeking to avoid eye contact, "My dad's Grisha Jäeger. My mom is dead."

"Oh, I'm sorry." The other boy said genuinely, smiling comfortingly at Eren. 

Eren shrugged nonchalantly, "No, it's not your fault." He replied, horribly attempting to dismiss the matter. He was thankful when the boy picked up on his desire to change topics and moved on to the next question. 

"Are you interested in taking this class all year?" He looked curiously at Eren, who had laughed loudly at the question. 

"No. I haven't sang since- well, never mind. Just put me down as a no." This mini quiz was starting to depress Eren, it was time to turn the tides, "So, what's your name?"

"Me?" The kid pointed at himself, Eren nodded, "I'm Bertolt Hoover, member of the student council."

Eren burned the name into his memory, "Alright, why'd you help me?"

Bertolt blushed but answered boldly, "Well, I saw a cutie in need, and a student council member is the only one who can sign someone up for a club, so."

Eren laughed at this, smiling brightly at the tall teen, "Actually, I'm roommates with the president, so you didn't need to worry about that, but thanks for the sentiment." Eren winked, but Bertolt looked shocked. 

"Wait, you're Armin's new roommate?"

"Yes."

"The one that broke his arm when getting away from a man who was forcing himself onto you at the bar?"

"What the fuck? No!" Eren looked incredulously at Bertolt, "How can you people actually believe those stories? A barbell fell on my arm, that's all." Eren explained, mumbling something about gullible morons and snowballing rumors because of wimps who avoid confrontation. 

"Oh, seriously? I'm sorry." Bertolt chuckled nervously, going back to filling out the paperwork and only glancing up at the fuming Eren occasionally. (Why is this kid so angsty?)

"Alright, I'm done. You are officially a member of the music club, you can ask your captain for more details about club meetings, etc." Bertolt explained, but before Eren could reply the bell for his first period rang, and he was running through the halls to get to the classroom on the other side of the school, saying a quick 'thank you' to Bertolt before his departure. 

Eren slid into his seat next to Armin just in time for the opening bell to ring, signaling that classes had officially begun. 

"Where were you?" The blond whispered as he pulled out his tattered textbook, flipping to the instructed page. 

Eren followed his lead, "This kid Bertolt was helping me sign up for a club, he's pretty hot."

Armin laughed under his breath, casting Eren a sideward glance, "Well, you'll have some competition if you're into him. The captain of the rugby team, Reiner Braun, totally digs him, everyone knows it."

Eren smirked mischievously at his roommate, "Please, I could have had him begging for me in minutes if we weren't in a school building."

"You know, as hard as it is to believe, I really could have lived ten lifetimes without that image in my head, maybe thirty." Armin said sarcastically, glaring at his snickering friend. 

"Hey, everyone needs a few mental scars to make their day complete." Eren winked, ignoring Armin's eye roll and finally turning his attention to the teacher. 

At lunch, Eren had asked Armin about the music club. He said that the captain was gone, but that there was another kid he knew in the club named Erd, and that he should look for him if he needed information. 

So, here he was, looking desperately in a crowd for a senior with the oh so detailed description of 'blond'. Fucking fantastic. He was as ecstatic as a majestic fucking eagle. 

"Hey," he tapped a random kid's shoulder, "Do you know a guy named Erd?"

Apparently, Eren must have scared the kid, because he ran away as fast as his scrawny legs could carry him. 

"What even..? Whatever." Eren kept asking until he finally found someone who knew something. 

"Erd? Yeah, he should be in the music room. Number 209." Eren smiled gratefully at the girl before running off to classroom 209, thanking God when he found a blond guy standing in the center of the room, talking to some stocky dude with bleached hair. 

"Hey, are you Erd?" Eren asked as he walked towards the chatting pair, who instantly ceased their conversation at the sound of the name. 

"Yeah, why do you-" Erd's eyes widened in shock as he registered the familiar face standing in front of him; it was the kid from the gym!

"I'm Eren Jäeger, I joined the music club today. Anything I need to know?" Eren raised his eyebrows questioningly when Erd didn't answer immediately. 

"Oh, um, yeah. We meet every day after school, usually only for an hour but sometimes it may run long. Our captain will organize club days and concerts according to what's available. You're just in time, we are going to have try outs next Tuesday, and you can do whatever you want; piano, guitar, drums, singing, hell, you can do it all, as long as it's musical." Erd explained quickly, watching the new addition take in the information. 

"Okay." Was all Eren said before he turned around and walked over to the stage, browsing the instruments and finally picking one up. 

He was a bit rusty, but surely no one would notice.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don't know if any of you can guess where I am going with this but if you think you have an idea just comment below ;p Anyhow, I hope you all liked the new chapter! <333


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time. *DUN DUN DUN*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I am so sorry that my update took so long I don't even have an excuse I just suck and this chapter isn't even very long I'm sorry guys but anyway here's chapter 13 so enjoy! Thank you to everyone for reading and the kudos and comments! I'm sorry if I didn't reply to your comment, but I promise I read and appreciate all of them!

Chapter 13

_Beep..Beep..Beep.!Beep!!_

Levi shot upright in his bed. Today was the day. He could finally return to school. 

A small smile made its way to the teenagers face as he crawled out of bed and neatly tucked in the sheets. He didn't have to stay locked up in his room anymore, his day was already off to a great start. 

After showering thoroughly, Levi got dressed before running across the street to a small cafe. He ordered a coffee and a muffin while he was waiting for Hanji to come pick him up. This is where they usually met, Levi prayed that she hadn't already forgotten over the course of the last week that she was supposed to pick him up every morning. 

Levi nearly sighed with relief when a familiar truck pulled up, "Took you long enough, four-eyes."

Hanji just laughed, "You thought I wasn't going to show up, didn't you? I will admit, I was already on my way to school when I saw Erwin's text reminding me to come get you. Thank God for that guy!"

Levi scowled at her as he (with minimal struggle) climbed into the passenger seat of Hanji's truck, "Why does your truck have to be so high? It's near impossible to step up here." He complained. 

"Well," Hanji winked, "Maybe if you weren't so short it wouldn't be so 'near impossible'."

"Screw you." Levi spat. The rest of the car ride was filled with meaningless bickering and (in Levi's opinion) unnecessary comments about height. 

 

As soon as Levi walked into the school he was bombarded with questions.

"Where were you, Levi?" Ignored. 

"What happened? We thought you died!" Ignored. 

"Notice me, senpai!" Glare, then ignored. 

"Is it true that you jumped in front of a falling light pole to protect your scandalous mistress from certain death?" Ignor-

"Wait, what? That doesn't even make sense." Levi said incredulously, these people have serious problems. 

Finally, Hanji butt in, "Come on, guys, leave the poor boy alone. He just had the flu!"

At that, everyone gasped and took a dramatic step backwards, as if avoiding the plague. 

"You people are so melodramatic." Levi mumbled, rolling his eyes at the group of teenage morons that are the newspaper club. 

Levi promptly got all necessary books from his locker and made his way to his first class, following procedure until lunch time. 

 

Levi looked up from his sandwich when he heard the chair across from him scraping against the tile floors of the huge cafeteria, "Hey, Erd."

"Hi, Levi. You'll be glad to know that the club has been doing well in your absence." Erd started, jumping right to the point. 

"Has it, now?" Levi mumbled, more interested in his meal than any extracurricular activity he may be associated with. 

"Yeah," Erd laughed, "You'll never guess who joined! Man, is he a spirit. You should have seen him trying to play instruments with his broken arm, it was wild! He couldn't even hold them properly, but he was determined to keep trying anyway!" 

Levi flipped his dark hair out of his face, "Sounds like someone I used to know." He said under his breath, quickly shaking those thoughts out of his head, "So, anything else that's new?"

"No, try outs are still next Tuesday. Everyone has just been busy preparing, they all want to make it to the elite team. I can't blame them, the elites get to go to competitions across the country." Erd reported, reminiscing in his own experience with the elites. 

"Only the best can join the elites. Are any of the newbies promising?" Levi inquired, hoping for a positive answer. Ever since he became captain, no true talent has come along. Sure, the kids that dropped by were good, but Levi wasn't looking for good. He wanted a genius, a prodigy. He wanted perfection at its finest, and he was not going to stop searching until he found it. 

"I think there's one that just might catch your eye." Erd winked slyly, and before Levi could demand more of an explanation, the lunch bell rang and hundreds of students were filing out of the cafeteria, and his voice was lost in the crowd. 

 

"I can't believe you forgot to tell the school that you were sick." Erwin chuckled, easily keeping up with his fast-paced friend's short legs. 

"Shut up, eyebrows." Levi scowled, walking towards room 209 as fast as he could. It was frustrating how Erwin's long legs could easily carry him a long distance with each step, especially when that smug jerk was never in a hurry to go anywhere. 

"You know, you really shouldn't be so..." Erwin's booming voice was drowned out by a sound flowing from room 209. Levi stood in awe with his door on the handle, listening to the smooth notes blending together perfectly to create a beautiful melody. 

"Who..?" Levi mumbled, snapping out of his daze and stepping into the room quietly. He saw a silhouette sitting in front of the piano, its fingers moving freely across the keyboard, not bound by a scripted sheet. 

He moved closer to the mysterious musician, circling around slowly to see the front of the faceless man. 

The figure kept its focus on the instrument it was so skillfully playing, reveling in the freedom of playing unscripted. 

Levi watched as the freestyle finally came to an end, and flaming cerulean eyes burned into his silver ones. 

_No, it can't be._ But it had to be, Levi would recognize those eyes anywhere. 

A hand clapped down on Levi's shoulder, "Captain, meet the new recruit, Eren Jäeger."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit is about to go down, son.  
> ~(-.-)~


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The confrontation T~T

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I'm not sure about the way I wrote this but I've gone over it a hundred times and it's the only way I could think of taking this that I liked so... I hope you guys like it! Please comment your thoughts, I would appreciate the help T~T

Chapter 14

_"Captain, meet the new recruit, Eren Jäeger."_

"You!" Eren growled, leaping towards the short bastard and pulling his fist back quickly. 

Levi didn't know what he expected to happen if he ever met the boy who he rejected so long ago, but it was certainly not that. 

Levi dodged the punch deftly, silver eyes wide with shock. Eren looked so...different. He had piercings, and tattoos. He wore all black and red, a tight leather jacket hugging his figure.

Levi reacted before he even knew what was happening; he avoided another jab and used the momentum to easily flip his opponent, knocking the wind out of him. Levi straddled the struggling boy and held his hands tight above his head, hooking his ankles over the boy's legs so he couldn't move. 

"Let go of me!" Eren snarled, struggling viciously against the vice grip on his wrists, "I'll tear you to shreds, bastard!"

"Woah," Erd cut in, "What's going on here?"

"Stay out of this," Eren hissed, "This is between me and this asshole, you hear?"

All the on-lookers could do was stand by and watch as the scene unfolded in front of them.

"Eren," Levi said firmly, "Calm down."

"What?" Levi flinched under Eren's glare, "What the fuck did you just say to me? Did you just tell me to fucking calm down? I'll show you calm, you son of a bitch!" 

"Watch it, brat." Levi dug his heel into Eren's thigh, earning a pained yelp from the younger of the two. 

"You have no right to tell me what to do! You ruined my fucking life! Every single hour since that day has been painful. It would be easier to just die!" Eren spat, to furious to gauge the surprised reaction of the raven haired man. 

"Don't say that, Eren." Levi said shakily, finding it hard to look the kid in the eyes. 

"What, the truth?" Eren glared. So many emotions flowed through him, but mainly pure, unadulterated rage. 

"I didn't mean to hurt you..." Levi looked down, confused, at the stranger writhing beneath him. This was not the Eren he knew, when did he change so much?

"Oh? You 'didn't mean to'? Is that all you have to say to me? How dare you!" Eren yelled. 

"Well," Levi shouted back angrily, "What else do you want me to say? Please take me back, your highness?"

"How about 'I'm sorry', asshole!" Eren's cerulean eyes burned hot with unshed tears, containing words remained unsaid. 

"Eren..." Levi watched as the boy underneath him slowly broke apart, turning his face away to hide his tears. Levi's steel gray eyes narrowed in pity before he brought himself off the floor. 

"Damn it..!" Eren rolled over onto his hands and knees, repeatedly slamming his hand into the hard floor of the music room. 

"Oi, be careful. You don't want to injure your hand before tryouts." That sentence earned Levi the harshest glare yet.

"What's it to you? Besides, I'm quitting the club. There's no way I'm staying in a place with a monster for a captain." Eren said coldly.

Levi's eyes widened, slightly panicked, "No way, you can't quit! You're a musical prodigy– I've heard you sing!" 

"Shut up!" Eren screamed, "I haven't sang since my mom died!" 

When there was no reply, Eren wished he hadn't said anything at all. 

_Karla...is dead?_

"Eren, I- I'm sorry..." 

The watery eyes that looked back up at Levi broke his heart, they were full of pain and betrayal, they held no trace of forgiveness. 

"You're sorry that what? Sorry that you weren't there for your best friend? Sorry that you broke our promise? Sorry that she's gone?" Eren cried. He continued to cry, until he eventually stood up shakily, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

Sea green eyes burned brightly when he finally pulled his hand away, "I am sorry, too. I'm sorry that I ever believed you when you said you'd never leave me." 

Eren stormed out of room 209, stopping at the door to look back one last time, "I _hate_ you, Levi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to stop myself from putting a Mulan quote in there. 
> 
> Anyway, how'd you like it? I hope you all are happy with this outcome.. Since this chapter is so short, I will probably be uploading another tomorrow or the next day.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren why T~T

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I was supposed to update this, like, four hours ago...)
> 
> Thank you for all the comments on the last chapter! I loved hearing y'all's feed back and I'm glad you guys liked it :) Now, for some more "how not to react, featuring Eren Jäeger".

Chapter 15

By the time Eren got back to the dorm his anger had only cultivated, and Armin looked up, wide-eyed, when the door flew open so fast that it nearly put a hole in the wall. 

"Hey, Eren, what's wrong?" The blond asked worriedly, noticing his obvious rage. 

"Don't talk to me." He said, walking briskly past him and into the bathroom, slamming the door so loud that the entire floor could hear it's resounding bang. 

The blank, empty bathroom seemed to be an incarnation of himself, how he felt inside. He felt like just another pawn in the cruel game of life.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this..." He muttered, loneliness consuming his very being.

Eren gripped the edges of the sink tightly and, ignoring his roommates desperate pleads from the other side of the door, gathered the courage to look into the mirror. 

The reflection that looked back at him was not his. The eyes that once seemed to hold the entirety of the ocean's majesty were now laced with red, his cheeks were stained with dried tears, his lips were pale and chapped from screaming. 

The boy who looked back at him looked like a boy who was about to be broken beyond repair, just one more push and he would be past the point of no return. He looked like a hopeful boy who had been forced into a cruel world too soon. He looked like a boy who was well acquainted with the darkness of pain.

(He looked broken.)

_He looked like a boy who was scared of breaking._

And that he was. He didn't want to break, but it seemed to be too late. The world was moving too fast, and he'd been pushed off his feet too many times to catch up. 

And he didn't want that. He wanted more than anything to be happy, even if for just a fleeting moment. And for a second, a foolish second, when he was with his friends–Armin, Krista, Ymir– he thought that maybe, just maybe, he could finally have that fleeting moment of joy. 

_He was wrong._

At least, that's what he told himself as he frantically rummaged through the drawer for a release from the emptiness that was consuming him. 

He almost smiled when he found his razor. _Almost._ He slid back against the wall adjacent to the door, ignoring the feeling of the cool tile stinging his hot skin. 

He took a deep breath, thinking back to what had caused things to turn out the way they did. Friendship, childish naivety, unrequited love, cruel rejection, broken promises, untimely death; each factor in its own would never be enough to break him, not with his unyielding spirit. But even the strongest walls can only take so much, and his were crumbling down.

And, because it was _him_ , there was no recovering. There was only one way out of the pit of hell he had been forced into, and he knew what he had to do to finally be saved.

So, he slowly pushed the blade into his wrist, watching, intrigued, as his blood coated the steel, consuming the silver in a deep crimson.

It was beautiful, in its own way. It held a sort of semblance, like a Phoenix being eaten by its own flame before being reborn into a better world, a better life.

More blood seeped through the gash in his wrist, and his vision started going dark around the edges. As consciousness started fading away, he couldn't help but think on this analogy; maybe he, too, could be reborn into a different life. Maybe he could be happy. Maybe he could find good friends and true love.

The last thing he saw before blacking out was a pair of bright blue eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry T~T This wasn't even very well written, ugh.. Hopefully I'll update soon? Idk probably within the next week or two.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren wakes up..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys sorry I didn't update for so long T~T when I started this I promised myself I wouldn't let it get in the way of school but now summer has started so yay! anyway, hope you all like the new chapter <333

Eren woke up to a blindingly white room. The curtains were open, letting light reflect all around, making him blink hard to get the sun disks out of his eyes. 

"Where am I?" He muttered.

"You're in a hospital, dumbass." Despite looking completely and utterly pissed off, the disheveled blond in the corner looked relieved. 

"Woah. Who the fuck tried to kill you?" Eren laughed, basking in his poor friend's clear anguish. He looked horrible; his hair was greasy and knotted, he had bags under his eyes, and there was dried drool on his chin. 

"Not my-fucking-self, that's who. Gosh, Eren, what were you thinking?" Armin said. 

"Huh? I- oh... Yeah, about that.. Sorry?" Eren laughed, scratching the back of his neck nervously. 

"Sorry? Are you fucking kidding me? Don't you dare laugh! I can't believe I was worried about an asshole like you!" Armin shouted, storming his way towards the door. 

"Wait-" Eren looked apologetically at Armin, who stopped in his tracks, "I'm sorry, really. I shouldn't have done that. It's not a joke."

Armin sighed and turned around, "Why?"

"What?" Eren asked, confused. 

"Why did you do it?" Armin demanded, "Why would you ever do something like that?"

"I don't know... I was sad, I guess." Eren answered lamely. 

Armin sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day, "Was this about Jean?"

"What? No!" Eren yelled, his voice breaking from lack of water.

"Then who?" Armin shouted. 

"Le-!" Eren caught himself. Remembering something, he muttered, "Your eyes..." 

"What?" Armin asked, bewildered. 

"Before I blacked out, I saw a pair of blue eyes. Were they yours?" 

"Huh? Of course." Seeing the slightly crestfallen Eren, Armin continued, offended, "Why do you look so disappointed? Fuck you. Who did you expect?"

"I was hoping for Ian Somerhalder, but I guess you're okay, too." Eren lied, smirking at his friend. 

"What's with the 'too'? Don't have such high expectations!" Armin cursed, trying to remember why he saved this ingrate in the first place. 

Eren laughed. He had forgotten how good it can feel to have his friends around...

Eren suddenly found himself missing Connie and the others. He was supposed to call them but hadn't really had the chance with all that had been going on. 

"Hey, Armin, is my phone charged up?" Eren asked. 

"Yeah, it's right here. Why?" Armin handed him the phone curiously.

"I just have to make a call. It will only take a couple minutes."

Armin seemed to get the hint, leaving the room to get a coke. 

After a few rings, a familiar voice came over the line, "Hello?"

"Connie! Hey, it's me."

"Eren? What the hell, man? It's been too long!"

"I know, I know. Sorry." Eren laughed. 

"I get the feeling that you're not. Anyway, what's up? How's Cali?" Connie asked. 

"Good. It went better than I thought it would. I already have a few new friends." Eren felt bad lying, but the familiarity of Connie's teasing tone and laughter was too nice to ruin. 

"That's awesome, dude! I wish I could be there with you. Pick up some California babes. Ouch!" 

Eren chuckled, "What? Sasha get you?"

"Yeah, man. Let me tell you, she does not hit like a girl. Ouch! She said that was sexist."

"You tell him, Sasha!" Eren laughed.

"I wish Connie was more like you, Eren." He heard Sasha tease.

"Hey, Sash. What's up?" Eren smiled. 

"Nothing. Just lounging around with ConCon-"

"Don't call me that!"

"Aw, ConCon is angwy!"

"Oh. My. God. Eren, you gotta help me out here."

"Sorry, ConCon. No can do." Eren teased, laughing loudly when he heard Connie groan. 

He heard some shuffling and mumbling on the other line before Connie's voice finally came through, "Hey, man. Sasha's gone. Now, how are you, really?"

Eren opened his mouth but no words came out. He wanted to lie. He wanted to lie so badly, but he couldn't. 

"I-I don't know, man. I don't think I'm okay." Eren's voice broke.

"Did something happen? Did you cut again?" Connie sounded worried. 

Eren nodded before remembering that Connie couldn't see him, "Yeah."

"Damnit, Eren." Connie said softly, "You can't keep doing this to yourself."

"I know!" Eren shouted, "I'm sorry. I know. I just... Connie, he's here."

"What? Who?" Connie asked, his confusion clear in his voice. 

"Levi." Eren whispered, as if even the name itself was forbidden.

"Whoa, seriously? What the fuck? Why is he there?" Connie yelled.

"Shh! How should I know? All I know is that one minute I was at the music club, playing piano and the next I was staring into his face." Eren explained, conveniently forgetting to mention the fact that he did more than just stare at his face. 

"Wow. That's kinda fucked up, man. I mean, you have to have horrible luck. What are the chances of fucking Levi of all people being at your school?" Connie said, bewildered. 

"I know, right? And get this, the other day Jean calls me up-"

"No way!"

"Yes, way! It was the craziest thing! He's all like, 'Where are you? The fuck? I'm sorry. What do you mean you're in LA? Fuck you. Ima show up.' And I was just like 'sure, Jean'." 

Connie laughed, "What even is that guy? Man, what it must be like to live in your world."

Eren and Connie talked for a while longer, Eren talking about how he broke his arm at the gym and Connie talking about how Mikasa had been making conspiracy theories about how Eren had been abducted by aliens and made into an intergalactic sex slave and that's why he wasn't calling. Eventually, Connie had to go so they ended the call. 

"Nice chat?" Eren looked up to see Armin standing in the doorway. 

"Yeah," Eren smiled, "It was."

"Good. The doctors are putting you on watch for the next 24 hours but then we can go home."

"Yes!" Eren said. 

He didn't wonder when he had started thinking of here as home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if it isn't that good haha I'm rusty :/


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi, much the opposite of Beyonce, is NOT feeling himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so it’s only been what… two years? Two and a half? Hahaha, I hate myself. Y’all undoubtedly hate me too. But hey, better late than never, right? As I was rereading this story, I had some concerns. First of all, why does everyone wink so much? (I mean, irl I’m the only person I know who winks that often, so it shouldn’t be such a norm.) Second, why would I ever make the confrontation happen on a Friday??? Now I have the whole weekend to account for and come on, we all want to just get to the good stuff already. Third, fourteen-year-old me was way too angsty. I like it though, I like it. But damn, like chill bitch lol. Y'all might be surprised with how much my writing has not improved over the years. Anyway, this chapter is neither good nor long enough (like, it's seriously barely a thousand words kms) to make up for the wait but hey… disappointing people is what I do best.

Levi stormed into his apartment, the door slamming loudly behind him. Under normal circumstances, door slamming was one of his pet peeves, but this was certainly not to be considered normal. He was still in shock about what had happened at the club, and he was overcome with anger; though, he couldn’t answer as to who that anger was directed at. Ultimately, he decided, it was anger towards himself. Angry that he ever left. Angry that he didn’t apologize. Angry that he didn’t chase after Eren that night. Angry that he wasn’t there. Angry that he couldn’t help. Angry that he deserves the reaction he got from Eren today. Angry that there’s no one to blame but himself.

            Levi sat on his bed and tugged at his hair, cradling his head in his hands. He hadn’t cried the whole way here, but now that he was in the safety of his own home he couldn’t stop the tears that came. It wasn’t fair. Countless times he had imagined what it would be like to meet Eren again, but he had never imagined it like this. He had always still pictured him as a pure, innocent kid; certainly not as an angsty teen with tattoos and piercings that had the mouth of a sailor, certainly not as a boy who hated him. How naïve, he thought. He should’ve known better than to think that what he did wouldn’t change Eren, I mean, it was just rejection, right? No, he knew it was more than that. It was abandonment, at a time when Eren needed someone most. Of course, how was Levi to know that Eren’s mom would die? He couldn’t, obviously; even so, he should have been there for anything, for everything. Even if he didn’t like Eren like _that_ , he didn’t have to be so cold about it. Even if he didn’t remain his best friend, he at least could’ve been there to support him. Whatever, nothing could be done about it now.

            Levi wasn’t quite sure about how he was supposed to keep going to this school every day knowing that somewhere in the same building, Eren was sitting in class, probably drawing on his homework and resting his chin on his hand. He remembered that Eren always did like art, although he figured that his doodles probably weren’t of flowers and puffy clouds anymore. Levi regretted all the years he missed with Eren. How did he become who he is today? What is he up to now? Would he ever forgive him, or is he not that type? Was he dating anyone? At the last question, a bad feeling welled up inside Levi’s stomach. He knew he didn’t have the right to be possessive over the boy, but he was. He thought he had completely moved on, but after seeing Eren today, with his eyes as bright and fiery as ever, all the feelings that he had shoved deep down long ago came rushing back to the surface. In his mind, Eren was still his. He knew that was crazy, but that’s just how it was, and no list of wrongs could change that.

            Levi was pulled out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. “Go away.” He shouted. At least, it took the effort of shouting. In reality, it was hardly loud enough to be heard through the cheap frame.

            “Levi, I heard what happened. Are you okay? Please open up, I’m worried about you.” Hanji’s familiar voice came through the door, and for once she sounded serious. As much as they always joked around and bickered, Levi knew that she really did care about him.

            “I’m not opening up the damn door.” He cursed, and he heard the sound of buttons scratching against the door, meaning Hanji was most likely sitting with her back to the frame, “You better not have scratched my fucking door.”

            Hanji rolled her eyes, but she wore a look of worry on her face, “Language, Levi.” She said quietly, “You never curse.”

            At this, Levi thought he might just break down again. He had refrained from cursing all these years because for some reason he thought that if he ever met Eren again, he wanted to be a better person. He wanted to be someone who was a good example, who Eren would be proud of. In his mind, he convinced himself that clean language was a way to do this. Obviously, some much larger measures would need to be taken. Still, every time he cursed all he could picture was Eren’s innocent, childish face telling him that he shouldn’t say naughty words, and for once he started listening. Levi had a feeling that Eren didn’t care much about naughty words anymore. All he could come back with was “Shut up, four eyes.”

            For a while, they just sat in silence against either side of the door. Levi could feel the angst growing inside him and cringed; what was he, a thirteen-year-old fangirl whose favorite band just broke up? Yes, actually, he was. At least, he felt like one. He had only seen Eren once and already the boy’s clear drama issues were rubbing off on him. Finally, Hanji’s voice interrupted him from his thoughts, “Levi, it’s getting late. Are you okay?”

            “No.”

            A sigh came from the other side of the door, “Are you gonna let me in?”

            “No.”

            Realizing that there was nothing more she could do, Hanji stood up, “Well, I’ll be back in the morning to check on you. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Actually, scratch that. Don’t do anything Erwin wouldn’t do. If you need anything we’re all here for you, just give us a call.” Levi stayed silent, and eventually he could hear her footsteps gradually fading away.

            Levi wasn’t quite sure what time it was before he finally got up from the door and dragged himself into bed, but judging by how the starch white moon shone brightly against the pitch black sky, he figured it was well into the late hours of the night. Despite there being no lack of effort, he couldn’t manage to fall asleep. He tossed and turned until the sun had risen, and finally drifted off into a sleep full of childhood memories and bright green eyes.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren is still in the hospital, much to his dismay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll be damned if I’m actually gonna write about the whole weekend lmao, so just go ahead and assume that it was filled with crying and misery, with the occasional cheer-up attempt by friends. Ya know what, go ahead and assume that for the whole story, honestly. Anyway, enjoy this lovely writing extravaganza. (BTW, the song referenced here is King by Lauren Aquilina, I highly suggest y’all go and look it up.)

Nobody loved skipping school more than Eren did, keep this in mind. When Monday rolled around, however, and he was still being held captive in the hospital, he found that for once he wished he could be anywhere else except where he was, including school. Obviously, Armin had lied when he told him he’d be out in 24 hours because that was on Saturday and it was, indeed, more than 24 hours later. Armin insisted that it wasn’t lying if he didn’t know that it wasn’t the truth, to which Eren eloquently replied, “Whatever.” He still hadn’t told anyone except Connie about what had happened, and he didn’t intend to. He was sure that word had spread around school about what had happened in the music room, but if he knew Levi, he knew he liked his privacy and therefore Eren was sure that no one would know the cause of the outburst. Still, wild rumors had most likely been created not only regarding the incident but also regarding why he was now in the hospital. _Oh well,_ he thought; he wasn’t one to care much about what other people thought of him.

            Eren hadn’t been able to get Levi out of his mind. Seeing his stupid face, the feelings that resurged, and the outburst of anger towards his ex-best friend all happened too quickly for him to register. Now, having had nothing to do all weekend other than stare at the blank white walls of his temporary room, he had all too much time to register what had happened. He thought about how he reacted and only wished he had actually been able to land a punch on the guy. I mean, Levi could have at least had the decency to stand still and take what’s coming to him like a man. Not to mention, what kind of bastard pins down a guy with a broken arm? Sure, he had already moved on to a slimmer cast, but it still hurt like hell. Some things never change. Eren remembers how ruthless Levi had always been, no matter the circumstances he expected them to stay strong; no excuses accepted. He couldn’t help but wonder what Levi’s reaction would be if he saw him now, lying in a hospital bed with stitches going up his arm. Was his excuse good enough? He wasn’t sure whether or not he wanted Levi to know what had happened. On one hand, it was none of Levi’s business what Eren chose to do and he didn’t want pity. On the other, the dick deserved to know what he had driven Eren to resort to. Of course, no one is to blame for any sort of self-infliction except for one’s own self, hint the term self-harm, but there are still situations that can be the root cause of the act.

            Either way, Eren was dreading having to see Levi again. He was definitely quitting the music club, that’s for sure, but there was still no guarantee that he would be able to avoid him all the time. Although, he would do just that if possible. He wasn’t sure if Levi felt the same about not wanting to collide, and he didn’t really care; Jean had given him enough practice with ignoring people to get by. Don’t get me wrong, though, Eren is actually a pretty confrontational guy. This was different, though. This time, he was the one that was broken and he was sure that he couldn’t be fixed, so why just bring on more pain? Had Levi not already done enough damage? The more he pushed it, the more he would be forced to acknowledge his repressed feelings and that’s something he did not want to do; something he couldn’t do, if he was being honest.

            Eren wished he wasn’t like this. He felt guilty. He knew that what he did hurts his friends too, and that if he were to die it would crush them; but a part of him, a selfish part of him, didn’t really care. So what if they didn’t want him to go? He was in pain, and he just wanted it to go away, he didn’t really care how at this point. Too long he had sat in silence doing nothing to help himself, and now it was finally time for him to do what he wanted. Still, as the saying goes, it’s a permanent solution for a temporary problem, but his problem didn’t feel so temporary. He felt hopeless, like the pain would never go away. It was so unbearable, so many nights he laid awake feeling like he couldn’t even make it to the morning. He was almost 16, and he knew he was too young to feel this way. He should be out enjoying his life, going on adventures and planning his future. Instead he could hardly get out of bed and felt like he could do nothing right; if his future was anything like the present, he didn’t want it. Something had to change, or he was going to die, he just didn’t know what. He tried so many things: therapy, medicine, clubs, sports, alcohol, sex, and drugs, but none of them seemed to help. At most, they would provide a fleeting moment of relief before he fell back into his misery. He was so lost in himself.

            A song that his mother had sung to him long ago when he was depressed after Levi and finding out she was sick came to mind, and without noticing he began to sing to himself.

“ _You’re alone, you’re on your own; so what? Have you gone blind? Have you forgotten what you have and what is yours?_

_Glass half empty, glass half full. Well, either way you won’t be going thirsty count your blessings, not your flaws._

_You’ve got it all, you lost your mind in the sound. There’s so much more, you can reclaim your crown. You’re in control, rid of the monsters inside your head. Put all your faults to bed, you can be king again._

_You don’t get what all this is about. You’re too wrapped up in your self-doubt. You’ve got that young blight, set it free._

_You’ve got it all, you lost your mind in the sound. There’s so much more, you can reclaim your crown. You’re in control, rid of the monsters inside your head. Put all your faults to bed, you can be king again.”_ (King by Lauren Aquilina)

            “Wow,” Eren turned to see Armin standing in the doorway, “You never told me you can sing.”

            He hadn’t even realized that he had been singing, and his eyes pricked at the thought, “Yeah, well, I haven’t sung much since my mom died. She used to sing to me all the time, her voice was like an angel. It just doesn’t feel right without her.” He never told people this, except maybe Connie, and he wasn’t sure why he chose to say it now, but he felt a burden lift when he did.

            Armin took a seat on the edge of the bed, placing a careful hand on Eren’s leg, “That must be really tough, and I can’t pretend to relate. But Eren, you know that’s not fair to yourself. Not singing won’t change anything, and it’s not like you’d be dishonoring her by doing so. If anything, you’d be carrying on the legacy of something that she loved. I understand if you don’t want to, but don’t restrain yourself because you feel guilty.”

            Armin’s words somehow comforted Eren, as if he had been waiting to hear them for a long time. Truthfully, he did feel guilty. He knew he didn’t have anything to feel guilty for, but he couldn’t help it. Armin was right, though. Still, he found himself saying, “Well, that’s shot anyway. I can’t be part of the music club so no hope there.”

            Armin scrunched his eyebrows, “Oh yeah, today at school I heard about what happened. You got into a fight with one of the members. What’s that all about?”

            Eren rolled his eyes. As he thought, everyone has already heard about the incident. He avoided the question, “Just some guy being a douche. Anyway, there’s no chance I’m joining now so no point going on about it.”

            “Eren, I don’t know what happened, but you shouldn’t let it stop you from doing something that you love. I heard there’s still a week until tryouts, you should at least consider staying. Please?” Armin requested, his eyebrows pulled into a frown.

            Eren thought on this for a moment, “Fine, I’ll think about it. But no promises.” He claimed. He was already certain that he would choose not to continue, but why not at least try to listen to Armin? He had been a good friend thus far and seemed like he gave good advice, so he might as well consider it if that’s what Armin thinks he should do. That being said, if it meant having to see Levi again, he didn’t think he could do it.

            At this moment, Eren felt extremely homesick. He just wanted to go back to his old friends and get made fun of in the locker rooms and forget all about Levi. Just talking to Connie on the phone wasn’t enough, but he didn’t know when they’d be able to see each other again. With that thought, he asked Armin to leave so he could get some rest and hopefully be dismissed from the hospital in the morning.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi attempts to jump Eren. Also, Levi doesn't take well to criticism. He's a growing asshole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i've written like three different versions of this chapter, but i think i like this one best. im trying to slow this story down a bit, i dont want it to move too fast so you can expect soon for the drama to drop a bit and focus more on character development. that being said, this chapter is way overdramatic lmao.

Levi slammed his hand down on his alarm clock, nearly breaking it with the force. It had been a long weekend, to say the least, and he was not ready to go back to school. Nevertheless, he wasn’t one to neglect his duties so he dragged his butt out of bed and into the bathroom. He looked a mess; he hadn’t showered, his hair was tangled and grimy, his stubble had crossed the line from attractive dilf to creepy old man sitting alone on the park bench, and his face looked dry and about ten years older. Levi sighed, swatting at his reflection and turning on the hot shower. He spent a long time rinsing his hair and scrubbing his face, trying to wash all evidence of his stressful weekend down the drain. Finally, he dried off, got dressed, and grabbed a banana on his way out the door. He didn’t even like bananas all that much, but Erwin had left one for him and that’s all he had, so he couldn’t complain.

            The fresh air outside felt nice on his skin, and he hadn’t realized how much he had needed it until he was walking his way to school. Usually, Hanji would pick him up, but he had texted her this morning saying that wasn’t necessary. He needed some time to himself, and what better way than a nice morning walk. Before he knew it, Levi was standing at the entry doors of the school and had about thirty seconds before he would be considered late. Having prided himself on having no tardies this semester, he walked as fast as he could to his homeroom and got there just in time for the bell to ring. As he sat down, he was grateful that the teacher immediately began to lecture. He knew that at a school like this, news about Friday’s fight would have already spread like wildfire and he didn’t want to deal with questions about it; he liked his privacy.

            All too soon, the class was over and Levi was forced into the crowded halls. To his surprise, however, the rumors were not revolving around him; rather, it sounded as if they were all about Eren.

_“Did you hear? The new kid jumped one of the music club members, I guess he thought they were nerdy or something.”_

_“I knew that punk would be trouble. I mean, just look at him. Besides, I hear he’s the one who gave Aurou that black eye.”_

_“Dude, that transfer, I think his name is Eren Jaeger or something, has been in the hospital since Friday. No one knows for sure what happened, but I hear he pulled some crazy stunt.”_

            At the last one, Levi’s blood ran cold. Eren was in the hospital? What happened? Again, Levi knew he no longer held the right to be protective over Eren, but he couldn’t help it. He cursed himself for this feeling, he knows it’s none of his business, so he shouldn’t care. Still, what’s the harm in a little curiosity? Everyone else was digging for the truth, so he convinced himself that that’s all he was doing. Levi wanted to know what happened, but he wasn’t sure where to start. I mean, who even knew Eren around here? He only got here a few days ago but then again, Eren was always one to make quick friends. Levi heard that Bertolt was the one to get Eren into the music club, so he supposed, despite his unwillingness, that he should start there.

            Levi didn’t bother knocking on the door of the student council office and waltzed right in, leaning against one of the tables. “So,” he cleared his throat, “I heard you’re the one who got that new kid, Eren, into my club.”

            Bertolt turned around, clearly surprised, but quickly gathered himself before responding, “Oh yeah, that flirty kid,” He chuckled, “Yeah, he was looking really confused standing by the club board so I recommended music, he looked pretty fit but he had a broken arm, so no sports for him. Anyway, he’s actually roommates with the student council president, Armin, so I guess he could’ve signed up with him, but obviously I didn’t know that before I approached him. Besides, he seems like a cute kid.”

            Levi didn’t really care about Bert’s rambling, he was used to it anyway, but one thing did catch his attention, “Flirty?”

            “What?” Bert looked confused, but then shook his head, “Oh, right. Yeah, you should’ve seen the way that kid switched up. At first, I thought he was going to be stumbling and awkward but instead he left me feeling that way. Who’d’a thunk.”

            Levi muttered a quick thank you and walked out the door. Eren, flirty? He didn’t like the thought of that. He knew that kid was impulsive and hoped that he hadn’t turned to anything too troublesome to get away from his feelings. He knew deep down that this was too much to hope for, but he still tried to keep it positive. Maybe the kid was just the type that liked to tease people. Reconsidering what Bertolt had said, Levi decided the next place to check for Eren would be with his roommate, Armin. So, without a clue as to where he would be, Levi roamed the halls until he found someone who could point him in the right direction. By the time he reached the blond president, he was fed up with social interaction, “Hey, coconut head, what happened to your roommate?”

            Armin didn’t look surprised at the nickname, “Huh, Eren? Listen, I’ve been asked that all day; it’s not really my place to share his priv-“

            Before he could finish, Armin found himself pushed into the wall by Levi, “Listen, kid, I’m not asking about your moral compass here. I’m ordering you to tell me what happened to Eren.” Levi had had enough years of not knowing what’s going on with Eren and he was tired of it, he refused to let some punk keep more secrets from him.

            “Whoa there,” Armin started, raising his hands in defense, “Buddy, all I can say is that he got himself hurt and he’s in the hospital. He was supposed to be released yesterday but they thought it better to be safe than sorry, so they kept him an extra day. If you care that much, he’ll probably be at school tomorrow, you can ask him yourself then.”

            “Alright, fair enough… Don’t tell him I asked.” Levi left it at that and walked away, not bothering to look back as Armin brushed off his now wrinkled shirt. The last thing he wanted was for Eren to find out he had been threatening his friends, God knows how he would react. Still, he wanted to know what was going on and couldn’t bear the thought of having to wait another day to find out. His imagination was running wild with the possibilities. Did he get into another fight? Did his car crash? Did Levi reinjure his arm when he pinned him down? Endless situations ran through his head, but he knew he couldn’t act until he knew the full truth, and the only way to do that would be to find Eren tomorrow.

            Levi reluctantly walked into his last class of the day, Phys. Ed. He hated the uniforms they were required to wear; the shirts were unusually tight, and the pants were too short. He didn’t understand why they couldn’t just bring their own gym clothes, but at least everyone had an equally embarrassing outfit. As for the actual class, Levi didn’t mind it so much. Despite his height, he was extremely fit and athletic, and he dominated just about every game they played. If it weren’t for his involvement in music, he would probably be captain of one of the sports teams. Eren was the one who got him into music in the first place, he recalled.

            “Ackerman, get a move on!” The gym teacher shouted, earning a slight jump from Levi as he realized his fellow students had already begun warming up. He joined them promptly and before he knew it, the bell was ringing, indicating that school was over. He jogged back into the locker room and rinsed off in the shower, so as not to get his school clothes sweaty. He sent a quick text on his phone to Erwin, asking him to swing by his apartment later, but didn’t wait for a response before making his way home.

            Usually, Levi would take his time after school to do homework, but today he decided to write until Erwin arrived. He chose to start a new short story rather than working on one of his old ones, and without knowing what he was going to say he just began typing. Word after word, page after page, and soon enough he found that he had typed out a life story. Not just any life story though, Eren’s life story; or at least what he imagined Eren’s life story to be. He wrote of how the character had experienced heartbreak and betrayal at a young age and continued to hold a grudge because of it. His character was angsty and strong-willed, but also lively and upright. He kept a soft heart even through all his pain, and no matter how many times he got knocked down he just kept getting right back up. Levi hoped that that’s how Eren felt, even though he knew it was not completely realistic to think so. Eren isn’t some character from a movie, he’s a real person with real feelings and boundaries, and Levi had no idea what those were anymore.

            “Wow, that’s deep.” Levi nearly fell off his chair when he heard a voice behind him, and even after he saw Erwin standing in the doorway he had to clutch his chest to slow his heart rate.

            He glared harshly at his friend, “Jerk, you know I don’t like you reading my stuff.” It’s true, he didn’t. He felt that his writing was personal and he preferred to keep it to himself and to his anonymous readers, that way he didn’t feel judged or pressured, he could just use writing to free his emotions and perhaps to help better understand himself

            “Yeah, yeah. Sorry,” Erwin chuckled, clearly not sorry, “So why’d you want me to come over anyway? You usually like to spend your afternoons on your own.”

            Levi sighed, “Yeah, well, not today. Just don’t ask any questions and we can watch a movie or something.” This is why Levi invited Erwin and not Hanji, he knew that he would be much more willing to let it go than Hanji, who would inevitably ask a million questions until Levi just snapped and kicked her out of the house. He didn’t want that today, for once he just wanted to waste away the night without thinking or talking, just pass the time.

           

            Levi had never been more relieved to hear his alarm go off in the morning than he was now. He jumped out of bed, and although he’s definitely not a morning person, he rushed to get ready and headed to school early. He knew if he wanted to catch Eren he’d have to be quick about it, because the brunet would undoubtedly avoid him, especially if word got around that Levi was looking for him. By the time he arrived at the school, they had just unlocked the doors and the first few early-risers were trickling in, including Eren’s roommate, Armin. So, Levi waited, just out of sight inside the doors, for Eren to arrive… and he waited… and waited. Just as he was about to get up, he saw an expensive car speed into the parking lot and park horribly, half over the line on each side. Immediately, he knew it had to be Eren. He watched as the brunet walked casually towards the building, very clearly not worried about being late as the bell had rung two minutes ago and his pace accelerated about zero percent. As soon as he walked through the door, Levi grabbed him and pulled him into the nearest empty room, slamming the door closed behind them with his foot.

            Still not having identified his abductor, Eren started shouting. Levi shushed him with his hand and forced him into a seat. When Eren finally realized who it was, he got even more angry, but kept his tone down, “What the fuck do you want, Levi?” He scowled.

            “Language, kid.” Levi snapped, Eren’s anger somehow rubbing off on him, “What did you do to end up in the hospital?” He demanded, staring down those familiar fiery eyes as he waited for an answer. He didn’t have to wait long.

            “Oh, so you just assume it’s something I did?”

            “Yes, Eren. I know you.” By the look on Eren’s face, Levi realized that this was not the correct thing to say.

            “You know me? How dare you!” Eren’s fists clenched, “You haven’t known me since the day you left. I’ve changed, Levi. Shit happens, pain changes people. You don’t have the right to sit here and demand anything out of me, let alone act like you actually care what happened. If you cared about me, you wouldn’t have abandoned me. You would’ve run after me. You would’ve come back to me. I needed you, Levi. My mom was sick, and I had no one. I needed you,” At this, Eren’s voice cracked, and he stood up from his chair, “But you didn’t come back for me. I learned how to deal with shit on my own, and so what if it’s not healthy. It’s none of your business.” To end his dramatic speech, Eren brushed past Levi and stormed out the door.

            Levi’s first reaction was anger. Why did Eren have to hold this stupid grudge? Sure, he hurt him, but now he was willing to make it up. Whatever, though. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen, so he wasn’t going to waste his time trying anymore. Eren has a point anyway, it’s none of Levi’s business. It shouldn’t matter to him what happened, and it didn’t matter. What Eren did was up to him. Levi had no concern in the matter. With that in mind, he walked out the door, angry at everyone and everything.

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know, literally everyone in this fandom wants to kill me right now, believe me, I'm with you. But, hell, you haven't seen anything yet. You guys will probably be throwing tomatoes at me when you see what's coming next, so be warned. Also, sorry for the weird spacing, I'll try to fix it in the third chapter. PS- There's always something crazier ;)


End file.
